What if?
by DrowPrincess
Summary: just something i've been kicking around in my head. rated for violence suggestions. please leave reviews! Charles and Erik wait up all night for Moira to come home. she brings with her a little surprise. Will they keep her?
1. Chapter 1

**What If?**

The house and backyard were dark and quiet, if you could call the gigantic grounds and huge mansion a house and backyard. A car pulled up to the back, slowly and quietly. A small dark figure got out of the drivers side, hurried around to the passengers side, grabbed some bags and a small bundle, and hurried into the house. Inside the house the figure left the light off, feeling it's way around the kitchen in a not-quite-familiar-with-it's-surroundings-yet kind of way. It finally came to the little island counter in the middle of the room, placed the bags on it, checked whatever was in the bundle, then slowly and quietly left the room. The figure had just made it past the library doors, thinking it was safe, when…

'_Moira?' _Asked a voice from inside her head.

'_Damnit, Charles I can explain.' _She thought desperately.

'_Come into the library. Please'_

Moira pushed open the gigantic doors to reveal a huge library, filled with every type of book imaginable. Charles was sitting across from Erik facing the Moira, they were both absorbed in a chess game. Moira couldn't see Erik's face but she practically feel his anger rolling off him. She was glad his gaze was on Charles and not her.

"Charles? I'm sorry I came back late, but…"

He held up a hand to silence her, Erik moved a piece and shook his head. Charles simply sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Moira, you left the house at noon. It's been almost fourteen hours since. Erik believes you went to the CIA and told them where we are."

"But I didn't!" protested Moira.

"Exactly what you would say!" growled Erik. Charles looked at him hard then turned to face Moira again.

"I would like an explanation, please."

Moira debated for a moment then sighed and walked over to the two men.

"I'm going against all protocol, several promises, and a few state and federal laws, but…she'll be better off here then anywhere I could take her."

"She?" Asked both men.

Moira sat on the couch and brought the bundle from her shoulder to her lap. Both men inhaled sharply at what they saw.

"How." Erik asked angrily.

"I don't know about her injuries, but I found her. It's why I was gone so long. I think, after being around you Charles, I must be sensitive to telepathy." Moira said softly.

"What makes you say that?" Asked Charles, reaching out a hand to touch the small child's hair.

"I had to drive almost fifty miles before I was anywhere near her and then it was just feelings and…"

"And what?" Asked Erik.

"Pain. Lots of pain, and loneliness. And fear." Moira whispered. "I did the best I could with what I had."

The bundle held a small girl, bruised and battered but wrapped warmly and securely. Charles was softly stroking her golden black hair, Erik was simply staring from Moira to the girl and back.

"So…What happened?" He finally asked.

"I don't know." She said softly. "I drove there like I was compelled, she was just so small and helpless. Her voice was so…faint and little. Not like yours Charles, just beginning."

Moira looked like she was trying to remember, Charles just watched her, waiting for her to continue.

"I…pulled up to a house?…no, a church…there were people singing inside…she was chained outside to a stake. She looked so lonely and afraid. She took one look at me and practically choked herself trying to get to me. I couldn't take her then, I had to wait until everyone went home. They left her there, then I got this horrible image of a big fat guy in priest robes coming up to her and I don't know why but she didn't want him to see her. So…I took her." Moira looked at Erik beseechingly, like she needed someone to help her rationalize what she had done. Erik simply raised an eyebrow at her and sat back in his chair.

"Surprised?" He asked snidely.

"No, disappointed." she replied sadly.

"Do you know her name?" Asked Charles before Erik could say something.

"Yes, we stopped at a diner. She said her name was Lily and that she was three years old." Moira held her hand up like a child would. She looked like she was going to cry or fall asleep or both. Charles flopped back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. He muttered something to himself then hit the arm of the chair. Erik looked at him in surprise while Moira jumped.

"I am upset Moira, but please put it in perspective. I am not going to hurt anyone." He said tiredly. "Does anyone know you took her?"

"N-no." She stammered, sometimes she forgot he could read her mind. "I mean, I don't think so, besides I'm pretty sure they won't come looking for her."

"Alright." Charles sighed. "Go to bed Moira. You look dead on your feet."

Moira stood up with Lily and moved toward the door. She stopped, looked confused for a moment, then turned back and placed Lily on Erik's lap before leaving.

Erik looked at the sleeping girl on his lap in confusion. Charles moved another piece on the board, smiling faintly. He didn't have to be telepathic to feel the confusion and hesitance of his hard metal-bending friend, but he could also feel the pleased and gentleness with which he regarded her.

"So! Shall we keep her?" Charles asked at length.

"She's a mutant." Stated Erik.

"Yes, she's a telepath. Quite strong too."

"Did you?…"

"Yes I looked into her mind. She politely asked me to leave but that she wanted to stay with us."

"What happened to not imposing you will on someone else?" Teased Erik, thinking of Moira.

"I merely asked Moira to leave Lily with us. Where she put her was entirely her own decision. Check." Said Charles moving his knight. Erik moved his king out of harms way before saying,

"There's a war coming, Charles. Do we even have the right to take her? Much less keep her?"

Charles considered this before moving another piece.

"I think…she has no where else to go. Are you going to take her back? You may have done a lot of bad things in your life Erik, but even you wouldn't harm a child. If my memory serves you always go out of your way to try and save them." he finally said.

The two men sat in silence for a moment as they continued to play. Suddenly the quiet was broken by a small cry from Lily. Erik jumped as though he'd been shot at, Charles quickly came over with a tight expression on his face. Lily began to thrash around wildly, crying out in an unintelligible babble. Charles put a hand on her forehead and the other to his temple. His eyes slowly closed as Lily calmed down. She turned over slowly and grabbed Erik's arm in a strong child's grip. As Charles opened his eyes, she stuck her thumb in her mouth and sleepily murmured.

Charles leaned his head onto Erik's shoulder, as he contemplated what he had seen.

"She stays. No one will come for her, and no war will harm her." he finally said.

"What did you see?" asked Erik.

"She…" he swallowed. "You once told me that there are many ways of creating pain and fear."

"Why?"

"Sometimes I wonder…If you're right about humans."

"Charles, what the hell did you see?" asked Erik. Few things frightened the broken man anymore, but one of them was Charles agreeing with him.

"She was abandoned when she was born and placed in a home with other children but…"

"Her mutation?"

"Yes, she started hearing the voices and something about a devil…and then the caretaker had her exorcised. More then once. She was burned, beaten,…" he said tiredly.

"Raped?" Erik asked softly, dangerously.

Charles didn't say anything, just sighed a long rush of air.

"We'll protect her, Charles." Erik said angrily. "And I swear, if I get my hands on whoever…"

"No! She wasn't raped! Calm down Erik!" rasped Charles.

"How can I? You're agreeing with me! A child's been hurt, multiple times! How can I calm down?"

"Because you're making all the metal in the room float. And I…can't breathe!" Gasped Charles from a few feet above Erik's head.

"Ah! Sorry, Sorry!" He said quickly. Erik tramped down his feelings and regained control of his powers. Everything in the room slowly lowered to the floor. Charles coughed and rubbed his neck before saying,

"She's safe now. We will take care of her, I promise you. No more harm will come to her. Ever."

"And the war?"

"I don't know."

Charles went and sat back in his chair still massaging his neck.

"I am sorry. What are you wearing?" asked Erik.

"Oh, just a gift. From Raven, she thought it'd be funny."

Charles held out a gold chain with the word 'Psychic' written in script. Erik started laughing, he couldn't help it. Charles smirked and tucked it back under his shirt.

"We have ten days to figure everything out. And I am exhausted. Let's finish this and go to bed."

"One question." asked Erik after losing to Charles in three moves, "Where is she going to sleep?"

Charles stopped putting the chess set away and thought a moment.

"I know a room but…I'll need to clean it up." He said finally.

"And tonight?"

"She looks comfortable." Charles said smiling. Lily was still hanging onto Erik for dear life.

"Seriously Charles."

"I was serious." He said still smiling.

"Charles."

"Erik."

"Charles!" Erik said with a hint of panic in his voice. Charles couldn't help teasing. He just looked so cute. The most dangerous mutant in the mansion holding a helpless sleeping infant who trusted him with her life. And he was keeping his voice down for said child!

"Well, I suppose she could sleep with you for the night." Charles said when he stopped laughing internally.

"An untrained child telepath sleeping with me?"

"Good point. She could sleep with me."

Erik tried to remove his arm from Lily's death grip, but she just held on even tighter. Like he was some personal teddy bear, he growled in his mind.

"For the moment you are." Teased Charles

"You…" began Erik furiously.

"Only heard because you're angry. Well if she won't let go and you can't sleep with out her being shielded. Then there's only one thing left to do."

The next morning Erik awoke to a sleeping Lily cuddled into his side sucking her thumb, and a long pale arm draped across his torso lightly touching her hair. He turned his head and found Charles laying next to him with his head on Erik's shoulder and a leg around his. Erik couldn't help thinking, as quietly as possible, _'How did I get talked into this?'_

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><p><span>so just alittle something i've been thinking of. i'd really appreciate some reviews. more shall follow!<span>


	2. Chapter 2

After "accidentally" whacking Charles in the head to wake him up, Erik got a lovely eyeful of Charles in PJ pants…and nothing else. Charles just winked at him and grabbed some clothes, heading toward the adjoining bathroom. Erik was left to try and get out of bed without immediately waking up Lily, who seemed to think of him as her own personal pillow/teddy bear.

He slowly moved over a bit, she moved with him. He moved again, she followed. He moved again…and fell on the floor. Cursing and swearing as softly as he could, Erik used the bed to pull himself up and found a pair of frightened purple eyes staring back at him. He felt a flash of fear and then comfort that was completely foreign to him.

"Hello." Erik said carefully.

'_Hello'_ said a child's voice in his head.

"Can you speak?" he asked hoping she could so she wouldn't be in his head. The purple eyes welled with tears and Erik felt paralyzed by fear. Dimly he was aware that it wasn't _his_ fear but it still left him breathless. Charles, shirtless, ran out of the bathroom led by his own belt buckle, and did a spectacular leap onto the bed managing to scoop Lily into his arms and smack Erik upside the head. Erik was brought back to his senses sharply, the dresser and alarm clock crashed back down. There was a shrill screech from somewhere in the house, followed by all the mirrors shattering. Erik winced and made a mental note to check before he let go of his power again.

Charles was wrapped around the little girl, stroking her hair with one hand while the other was on his temple. He could feel her panic and fear, she didn't know where she was and couldn't control her power consciously. He sent a calming wave to her which she broke through in her panic.

'_It's ok. Everything is going to be fine. You're not in any danger…' _Charles thought soothingly. Lily's mind swirled and whorled around his, she was all but hysterically screaming in her attempt to…

'_Protect? Protect what?' _Charles asked gently.

Lily sent him images of her being slapped across the face. Charles' eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She sent another image of stars thrown across the night sky. Comprehension dawned on him as he almost cried from the beauty of the image.

'_Protect. I understand, hold on.' _he thought. Charles pulled in all of Lily's mind to her body, he constructed a mental barrier around her mind.

'_You'll be able to let in only what you want, hear only what you want to hear. Understand?'_

'_I can't hear anything.' _Lily thought back frightened.

'_It's ok.' _"Erik say something"

"Uh…"

"See? You can still hear." said Charles kindly, removing his hand from his temple. Lily sat up in the bed, crawled over Charles, and ran into the bathroom. Charles looked over at Erik, fully dressed, sitting in a chair.

"How long?" He asked.

"Not long, only about fifteen minutes. The other's are getting up, albeit reluctantly." Answered Erik. _'Teenagers'_

Charles nodded in agreement as he went and choose another shirt from the dresser. Erik was watching appraisingly when Lily walked back into the room holding her shirt around her tightly.

"She'll need some clothes." Charles said absently fixing his collar. "I don't know if we have anything small enough but…"

He turned around to see Erik kneeling down holding the small tattered shirt in one hand as he helped Lily pull on a bright blue flowery dress and short set. He adjusted it a bit then looked over at Charles, as though daring him to say anything.

"Where did you find that?" He said only.

"Moira had it, she bought it last night when she found her." Erik said as he stood up.

"Well then, let's see it. Do the twirl." Charles said twirling his finger at Lily who complied. Charles smiled wide and Lily hesitantly smiled a small smile. He turned back to the dresser and rooted around in the top drawer for a moment before pulling a box out of it.

"I think she could use…this." He said walking over to her opening the box and taking out a sparkly bracelet with small heart and a bunch of stars on it.

"There what do you think?" Charles asked. Lily smiled even bigger and hugged him, then Erik, tightly.

"Well then…to breakfast." said Charles offering his hand to Lily. She took it, looked up at Erik and shook his pant leg. He looked down at her and she offered her hand up to him with a small smile. Erik looked at Charles, rolled his eyes, and grabbed her hand.

"Sean I need that back to finish the mix!" Raven said shrilly.

"But it's SO good!" He replied. "I think I'm in love!"

"Yeah, yeah, gimme the bowl!"

"No!"

"Let go!"

"NO!"

CRACK!

"OW!"

"Well that's what you get. Morning Charles…Erik." said Raven as they walked into the kitchen. The red-headed mutant was rubbing his head sitting at the counter in the middle of the kitchen.

"Morning, Professor. Morning Erik" said Alex from the stove, closely watched by Moira, making pancakes.

"Good morning Charles, ." Hank said handing Raven eggs and milk as she needed them. Sean mumbled something unintelligible from his perch.

"Good morning everyone. I have someone to introduce to you…everyone this is Lily." Charles said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at him. Erik dropped Lily's hand and she proceeded to grab his leg.

'_Looks like you have a cling on.' _thought Charles impishly. Erik simply glared at him but let her hang on.

"Wow! A little people!" exclaimed Sean coming over to them. He got down on his knees and smiled at her.

"Hi! My name's Sean. You're really pretty. Is that a new dress?" He asked nicely. Lily nodded, hiding behind Erik's leg, and smiled softly back at him. Sean stood up and went back to his seat.

"Wanna sit next to me?" He asked uncharacteristically calm and relaxed. Lily shook her head and pulled farther behind Erik dragging Charles with her.

"HA! Looks like you can't get anyone Sean!" Alex laughed. Moira whacked his butt with a slotted spoon.

"Watch the food!" She said.

"Ai-yi-yi! Ok! Yeesh!" He said rubbing his butt. Charles and Erik went over to the chairs next to Sean, Erik with a little difficulty because of Lily's grip on his leg. Lily looked up at the tall chairs, then at her big guardians as if to say, 'Really? How am I supposed to get up there?' Charles laughed, picked her up and deposited her on the chair between himself and Erik. She barely reached the top of the counter and got up on her knees to see better. Lily gasped and Erik stood up suddenly, swayed a moment then sat back down heavily.

"Lily, it's not polite to control someone without permission. What's wrong?" Charles said seriously. Lily pointed to Raven and sent a thought to Charles.

'_Is she really blue?' _

"Why don't you ask her? Raven! Come over here if you're not too busy would you?" Charles said.

"Yeah?" Raven asked, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Could Lily ask you directly? She doesn't talk right now, so it'll have to be mind to mind." Charles asked calmly.

"Sure?"

Charles nodded to Lily who looked intensely at Raven for a started to laugh uncontrollablely and Lily smiled her first big smile.

"Yes, I'm blue all over." She said wiping tears from her eyes. "I can also change my shape into anyone I want and I can imitate vocal patterns too. I'll demonstrate, think of someone."

Lily rolled her eyes up and looked at Charles, then back at Raven. She smiled and winked at Lily before shifting into a Charles-copy.

"I'm so smart. I have three degrees in biology and physics and I can speak five languages. Doesn't do me any good though cause their all dead!" the Raven/Charles said to Lily, who clapped her hands and laughed. The real Charles turned a bright pick color and ignored Raven's smile.

"So does her mutation prevent her from talking or is it she just won't?" asked Hank coming over with a mug of tea for Charles. Lily stopped laughing abruptly and looked fearful.

"She can talk, she just chooses not to. She'll talk when she's ready." replied Erik rubbing his eyes. "Any chance I could get some coffee?"

Hank frowned but went over to the coffee machine. Raven shifted back to her normal blonde form and smiled at Lily, who cocked her head to the side. Raven frowned and shook her head, then looked a little sheepish. Lily smiled and nodded at Raven encouragingly. Raven took a deep breath and shifted to her blue form. Immediately everyone was barraged with images of different blues.

"She's trying to figure out what color your skin is!" said Charles pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That one!" shouted Hank rubbing his head. The images stopped on a big open midnight blue sky with the stars and a full moon brightening everything. The image slowly faded with the word, 'beautiful' ringing in everyone's ears. They all looked over at Lily, who was leaning against the counter with her eyes closed.

"Alex! The pancakes!" said Moira.

After Alex saved the pancakes and everyone had been served. Erik and Charles outlined the training regime for the next ten days. They were all going to train in the mornings and part of the afternoon with Erik on physical and combat training. Then they would have a few hours with Charles to work on their personal mutation powers and mental training. Lily watched them all looking a little lost.

"Charles I don't think she knows how to use a knife." Raven said, interrupting Erik's plans to get them all into shape. Charles looked over at Lily who was poking her pancake with a fork. A knife slowly rose into the air and began cutting her pancake into bite-sized pieces. Charles looked over at Erik, who just sat there and continued talking like nothing had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, we're going to run ten laps around the house. After the first lap we're going to do ten push-ups, then after the second we do ten sit-ups, after the third ten jumping jacks, my count. Then repeat. Everyone got it?" Erik barked, sounding like a drill sergeant. As everyone made general acknowledgements and finished stretching out, Charles came jogging out of the house.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to ask Moira to start cleaning out Lily's room. Don't worry Erik I heard everything you said." He said brightly.

"Good, then I don't have to repeat myself. Let's go!" Erik said starting off at a jog. As everyone settled into their own rhythm, Raven ran up to Charles.

"Which room?" She asked.

"My old room. Where's Lily?" He repiled looking around.

"On the patio watching us sweat. What do you mean your old room?"

"Ok, our old room, the nursery where we grew up. Where on the patio?"

"On the steps. That old room? It's got to be crawling with bugs and mold and god knows what else. You can't put her in there!"

"Well there isn't much other choice. Besides Moira said she could have it done soon."

"Oh yeah the human said she could do it." Raven replied with a hint of disdaine.

"Hey, leave her alone. If it wasn't for her Lily wouldn't even BE here." Charles said a little breathless.

"I know. I'm sorry, it's just…I'm not comfortable around her." Raven said apologetically.

"Wanna know a secret?" asked Charles.

"Sure."

"Neither am I."

"Yeah right." teased Raven.

"No really I…"

"Come on mutants! Get your rears in gear! Your falling behind!" Erik shouted from behind them, accenting the point by smaking Charles in the said region and pushing Raven ahead.

They all ran and ran, and groaned when they found out one jumping jack to Erik was three to them. But finally they were able to collapse on the back lawn in exhastion. Erik continued to run five more laps before sitting down next to Charles, who was layed out panting heavily.

"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. It helps get rid of more carbon dioxide. How's the room coming?" asked Erik pushing a water bottle at the smaller man. Charles took several deep breathes and a drink of water before saying,

"Good. It's coming along good. Moira says she won't be able to finish until tomorrow but she should be able to get it done by then." He said gasping slightly. "How do you manage to do this?"

"It's easier when someone's pointing a gun at you." Erik said flatly. Charles looked sorry for a minute then continued drinking. Erik waited a bit then stood up and called out,

"OK! Ten more laps! Then we'll start combat! If you stop you have to make it up tomorrow, no exceptions!"

Everyone groaned as they dragged themselves into upright positions and started jogging again. Charles ran slower then before but managed to keep pace. Suddenly he felt a tightening in his throat and a weight in his gut. He couldn't explain it but he needed to know where Lily was…right…that…SECOND. He picked up his pace a little more and as the feeling persisted he ran faster and faster. Soon he saw the patio and Erik in front of him. He could barely contain his panic as he pushed himself to run even faster.

Lily was climbing up onto the wide, smooth stone railing at least twenty feet up in the air. Erik was shouting something at her as she raised her head and smiled up at him. Suddenly she swayed a bit and…FELL ON THE WRONG SIDE! Charles ran but he knew he wouldn't be able to reach her in time and Erik was to far away to catch her. Hank suddenly appeared running faster then any human could have ever run. He over took Charles and Erik and skidded to stop as she was visiously yanked upward by her bracelet. As Erik and Charles ran up she was slowly let down but instead of landing safely in Hanks arms…she bounced.

"What the…" said a bewildered Erik. "Come back here!"

He snapped his fingers and she was brought back down again with the same results. Erik looking angry snapped his fingers again and tried to bring her toward himself and Charles. She simply bounced back from them again and hung just out of reach.

"What's going on! Charles!" Erik said warningly.

"It's not me! I have power over the mind not physical things!"

"Hank!"

"How's it my fault!"

"Calm down!" Charles said as Erik was about to reply. "Erik try letting her go."

"Oh yeah and have her plummet to the ground?" Erik snapped.

"Just try it!"

"Fine!"

Erik waved his hand, Lily fell a couple inches but just floated there like a hummingbird. Erik gaped up at her in astonishment, she looked back wide eyed with surprise and fear.

"HA! Can you believe it, Erik!" Charles said laughing in relief.

"Charles."

"She's floating! It must be her mutation, I thought it was just telepathy but this! This is amazing! Absolutly amazing!"

"Charles!"

"I-what?"

"As happy as I am to find out she can float. How in the hell are we supposed to get her down?" asked Erik.

"Ah…Hank can you reach her?"

Hank reached out as far as he could but she just stayed there floating softly up and down.

"Sorry Professor." He said sadly.

"It's ok. Hank go get the others will you?" Charles said. "Erik maybe you could reach her up on the railing."

Erik ran up the steps and climbed up on the railing. He leaned out and tried to grab her. Lily reached out her hands to him in an attempt to bridge the gap between them but her arms were to short.

"I…can…almost…reach…" Erik grunted leaning even farther out and just brushing her fingers. "Come here!" He said using his powers to try and pull her arm toward him. She simply stayed where she was floating, her eyes filling more an more with fear.

"Mr. Lensherr, you're gonna fall!" shouted Alex as the rest of the group ran up. Erik growled as Sean and Alex gripped him around the middle and dragged him off the railing.

"Raven go get a ladder from the house, could you?" Charles called out quickly. "Erik come down here a minute. Alex, Sean try to calm Lily down. Thank you."

Erik walked over and tarted talking quietly to Charles, who kept pointing up at Lily. Suddenly everyone heard a squeal and giggle emitt from above them. Lily was laughing at Alex who had Sean in a headlock .

"Let go!" Sean said in a muffled voice.

"No! She's laughing isn't she?" Alex replied.

"But you stink!"

"No more then you do."

"Shut up the both of you, this is serious." Raven said running past them with the ladder and placing it underneath Lily. Charles moved to get up on it but was yanked back by Erik.

"I'm not going to let you do this!"

"It's not that tall!"

"I don't care if it's midget sized!"

"Look, I am considerably lighter then you, no offense, and if I do fall…I know you're going to catch me." Charles said hotly.

"_When_ you fall, you mean." Erik said, equally annoyed.

"Erik you can be such a…" Charles began.

"Such a what?"

"Such a worrywart!"

"N-no…I just don't want the only telepath we know who can actually teach that kid something, getting hurt or dying!" Erik said as he tried to deflect the insult/tease.

"I weep for the future." Raven said rolling her eyes. "If you two can't decide, I'll do it for Christ's sake!"

Raven climbed the step-stool and reached out her arms. Lily didn't move, she tried jumping to reach her but couldn't get the hight.

"I think she's drifted higher." Raven panted after several attempts. Erik shook his head and headed to the stool. Charles grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

"If you catch her and fall I won't be able to catch you!" He said quietly, so only Erik could hear.

"I'm used to it, don't be such a worrywart." Erik repiled throwing Charles' words back at him.

"I'm sorry my friend, I'm not going to let it happen."

Charles pulled Erik even farther back and ran up the steps as quickly as he could. Lily had drifted farther up, considerably. Charles couldn't reach her but she was closer to him at least.

"Lily! I need you to concentrate on letting go of your fear of falling!" Charles called up to her. She widened her eyes and a drop of water fell on Charles' face. His mind flooded with an image of a small casket.

"No! Lily I will not let that happen! I'm going to catch you! I promise you, you will not get hurt! Now concentrate." Charles replied as calmly as he could. Another image flashed in his mind of a poster with the words, No Puedo No Sé!

"Uhhh…Erik what does, No Puedo No Sé, mean?"

"I can't I don't know!"

"You speak bloody Spanish!"

"No, that's the translation nitwit!"

"Did you just call me a nitwit?"

"GET HER DOWN LAB RAT!"

Charles put his fingers to his temple and entered Lily's mind. He seached around for a moment before finding what he was looking for.

'_Damn, I can't let her down slowly. Her power's to underdeveloped. She's gonna fall. Get ready Erik.' _Charles thought.

Erik immediately shifted into a solid stance and raised his arms. Charles looked deep into Lily's wide, frightened eyes, another drop of water fell on his face, and turned her mind off for a second. She fell heavily into his arms, and he fell off the ladder straight into Erik's waiting arms. Lily exploded into tears as she woke up, clinging to Charles and Erik like they were life rafts. Alex and Sean jumped and yelled for joy. Raven and Hank hugged each other in happiness, Erik and Charles simply stood up and held Lily, reassuring her she wasn't in trouble but warning her not to do something like that again, no matter how much she wanted to slide down the railing.

"Charles I don't know why I told you I'd have that room done by tomorrow. I just found a huge mold patch, you're gonna have to have it done professionally…" Moira said walking out of the house and surveying the scene. "Hey, what happened?"

The mutants all looked at one another and just laughed.

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><p><span>HI! i love all the reviews! Thanks tons to everyone who reads this and cyber cookies to those who reviewed and will review! Ummm...I haven't decided yet if there's gonna be CharlesErik. Maybe if the plot allows. (Prolly maybe) i suppose i should put a disclaimer on this thing before Stan Lee comes after me with a pitch fork and torch. So! I own nothing except the Lily Concept...she's mine! 


	4. Chapter 4

July 8th: Ok this is going to be a little different cause when i first posted this it was 12AM and i was already really tired from babysitting so i'm sorry for the sloppiness, but it should be fixed. Thanks for reading! Oh! and i promise it'll pick up i just want to finish the frist day cause some important stuff happens, especially in the next chapter. after that one you'll get to learn more about Lily. 'k? BYE! 

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><p>After explaining to Moira what had happened, she offered to watch Lily while the rest of them trained.<p>

"That won't be necessary." Erik said, holding Lily as Charles made reassuring noises and wiped her tears away. They went back to working, with one slight difference, Erik kept Lily with him everywhere he went. He carried her with him as he ran, sat her on his back as he did push ups and on his feet as he did sit ups. She thought it was a lovely game and the others, especially Charles, couldn't help smiling at her as she laughed and "helped" Erik with his work out.

After they finished the warm-up, Erik sat Lily down next to water bottles, near where they were working.

"Now sit there and don't move, ok Lily?" Erik said sternly. Lily nodded forlornly and plunked down next to the water. When Erik walked away, Alex creeped up behind Lily and poked her in the side. She turned around and smiled at him before poking back.

"Here. I made this for you. My mom used to make 'em for me when I got sick." He said quickly handing her a half finished daisy chain along with a giant bouquet of the flowers. "You just wrap this around that and pull it through. You can make your own that way."

Lily giggled and started to add onto the daisy chain, smiling more and more.

"Alex!" Erik yelled.

"Coming! That oughta keep you busy." Alex said before running off to join the group. Erik had them work in pairs before he had each of them fight him, no powers, to see where they were at in skill.

"Hit me."

"Hell no!"

"Hank."

"No! You're gonna kill me!"

"Just do it." said Charles.

"But, professor…"

"Hank."

Hank took a deep breath then swung at Erik who blocked it and threw him to the ground. Hank stood up rubbing his shoulder.

"I see you're still alive." Erik said coldly. "Don't swing so wide and when you fall roll into it so it doesn't hurt so much. Raven you're next.

Raven stood in front of Erik young, blonde, and looking more then a little annoyed.

"Hit me."

"Oh I'll hit you." She said feinting to the right and swinging to the left. Erik blocked it and tried to throw her like he had Hank, but she twisted, pulled him to the ground and sat on his back, trying to choke him out. Erik stuck his chin under her arm, managed to throw her off and sat on her, pulling her arm back until she tapped out. They both stood up panting, Raven looking a little surly.

"You need more power and when you try to choke someone, run your fist under their chin. It'll open the neck up for your arm." Erik said flatly. "And for god's sake stay focused! I almost thought you weren't going to tap out. Alex!"

Alex walked up to Erik and made a half-hearted attempt to hit him. Instead of trying to throw him, like he had with Raven and Hank, Erik punched Alex full in the face. As he fell to the ground, Alex swept Erik's legs from under him. Erik fell heavily to the ground, moved to get up when Alex jumped on him, and started punching every inch of exposed flesh he could. Erik simply rolled over, flipping Alex onto his back, and grabbed his arms. Erik placed a knee in Alex's back and pulled his arms straight back.

"OW! You win! UNCLE!" Alex yelled, hurriedly.

"Surprise and speed good thinking. Next time don't just start hitting, try to restrain first. And when someone does something unexpected don't freeze. Keep your head and try to counter. Charles your turn." Erik said, helping Alex up.

"This ought to be good." Raven said quietly to Hank and Sean.

"Is this really necessary?" Charles asked moving to stand in front of Erik looking very uncomfortable as the kids started quietly taking bets.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm having fun. Now hit me, pretty boy."

"Ok, you asked for it." Charles said with a deep sigh. He dropped to the ground and tried to sweep Erik's feet from under him, as Alex had done, but Erik jumped it easily enough. Charles quickly flipped to his feet and brought his leg up to push Erik down. Erik reached out, grabbed the foot, and yanked Charles down with him. Erik rolled on top of him but suddenly found himself looking up at the sky with Charles' legs wrapped around his body. Charles started arching his body slowly upward taking Erik, frantically trying to stop Charles, with him.

As Erik's back started to crack under the strain, he finally reached up to the back of Charles' knee and pinched the skin hard. Charles immediately dropped to the ground, pulling Erik with him. Both men groaned with the sudden change of position and rolled to their feet, Erik panting and rubbing his back, Charles rubbing his knee. Raven smiled and held out a hand, into which the boys all placed tens. She sniffed the cash and pocketed it with relish.

"Where the _Hell_ did you learn how to do that?" asked Erik rubbing his back and stretching.

"I'm not quiet as helpless as I seem. I like to resolve my issues with words, not violence but in the event that I need to, I'm prepared to do what is necessary." Charles said rubbing the back of his knee vigorously. "You're the one who cheated."

"Oh, I cheated?"

"Yes, you pinched me."

"I'm so sorry." Erik said sarcastically. "I was a little preoccupied with you snapping me in two! Sean! Front and center!"

Sean gulped a small scream but moved to take his place. After Erik quickly dispatched Sean, pulling his leg into an interesting new shape, they broke for lunch. Later, as they worked individually on their own powers with Charles, Lily continued to sit and make daisy chains as people brought various flowers for her to add. Erik sat next to her after his session and was soon covered in daisies, violets and other flowers as Lily showed him all the chains she had made.

A couple hours before dinner, Charles was in the library trying to get Lily to levatate other objects, namely glass marbles.

"Come on, Lily. I know you can do it. Just focus a bit more." He said throwing a marble in the air. Lily looked at it as it fell toward the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut and Charles yelled out in triumph. Lily slowly opened her eyes and saw the small glass marble floating in midair. She smiled wide and clapped her hands in delight.

"Do you think you could do more?" asked Charles excitedly. Lily nodded enthusiastically and Charles started throwing glass marbles into the air one at a time.

Erik had finished cleaning the one gun he had brought to the mansion three times, before he finally gave into boredom and started wandering around. He'd found Alex and Sean in Sean's room with a lot of smokey giggling going on, and had told them point blank if Lily found any of it they could go and turn themselves over to the Russians for all the mercy he'd show them. He'd stood by the door listening to the toilet flush over and over again before leaving, satisfied he'd succeeded in scaring them out of the habit. He'd just past the library, thinking of finding Charles for a game of chess, when he heard it.

_Click_, sounding just like to cocking of a gun. Erik swept the house with his powers to be certain the only gun was his and safely in his room. _Click_, there it was again coming from…the library? Erik stared hard at the doors, feeling around them for the metal of the room. He felt the hinges of the door and the bite of the locks and…inside left pointing at something.

"Come on Lily. I'll count to three." A muffled voice said.

"_Erik, ich werde bis drei zählen. Wenn die Münze nicht bewegt…" Herr Doktor said threatingly._**(Erik I'm going to count to three and if that coin doesn't move…)**

"_Eins"_

"One"

"_Zwei" Click._

"Two"

"_Drei"_

"Thr-"

"NO!" shouted Erik as he ripped the door off it's hinges and ran into the room. The gun in the left drawer of the desk at the other end of the room blew apart as he flung his power out as far as he could.

CRASH! Hundreds of marbles fell to the floor jogging Erik out of his horrid memory. Charles was standing with one marble left in his hand, in a full on flinch as a bullet was stopped right before his chest. He slowly relaxed, took a deep breath and moved out of its path.

"Thank you Erik. If I had known that gun was still in there I would certainly have moved it." Charles said observing the damage to the gun and desk. "Although I don't think I'll be able to use it again."

"I-I…" stammered Erik.

"It's ok." Charles said, moving toward Erik slowly but surely. "It's all ok. We are all fine, Lily's safe, I'm safe, no one was hurt. It's ok, Erik."

"N-no, it's not." Erik said shakily.

"Why not?" asked Charles, putting a hand on Erik's shaking shoulder and leading him to the couch.

"I-I…"

"Didn't mean for this to happen, I know." Charles said soothingly, trying to calm his terrified friend.

"N-no. I didn't…"

"Want this to happen?"

"NO!" shouted Erik, flinching at the volume of his own voice. "I d-didn't s-stop the bullet."

"What?" Charles said, after processing what Erik had said.

"I didn't stop the bullet." Erik said, more stabilly.

"Of…course you did. I'd be dead otherwise. I'm not dead am I?" Charles said, sounding a little unsure.

"I don't…" Erik began before looking over at Lily, his mouth slowly dropping open as Charles followed his gaze. Standing there, with a look of supreme concentration, was Lily…still holding the bullet in midair.

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><p><span>Hihi. Again love the reviews! ummmm...i don't know about the slash BUT i am still considering. it will prolly be later if at all so fair warning to all...Please keep reading and keep reviewing! Love you all! Thanks<span>


	5. Chapter 5

Ok i decided to move it along and this is about two nights before the cuban missle crises. love the reviews and I OWN NOTHING! not the disney characters or the X-men. the only thing i'll claim is Lily cause she's mine and adorable. please leave reviews loves you all!

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><p>Over a period of several days, and many sessions with both Charles and Erik, the mutants had come together to form a somewhat working team. Hank and Raven seemed to be finally learning to accept their physical forms, Raven with a little help from Lily. Sean had learned to fly, yes Erik <em>had <em>pushed him off the satilite dish, but he was no worse for wear. Alex, after Charles took drastic measures and put himself, Lily, and Hank in the same room, had mastered the focusing device Hank had developed for him. And Erik? Well, he was still not quite comfortable around everyone yet, but that would change with time. It had to.

"We're baaaa-aaack!" Yelled Raven, walking into the mansion heavily laden with grocery bags.

"And we have food!" said Moira, following close behind equally burdened.

"Alright! Woo-hoo!" shouted Alex and Sean, as they ran down the stairs and grabbed the girls bags.

"Works every time." Moira said, winking at Raven as she followed the boys to the kitchen.

"What did you buy?" asked Charles, emerging from the library with Lily on his hip.

"Oh the usual. Milk, bread, cereal, five pounds of meat." Raven said falling into step beside her brother.

"What are we going to do with five pounds of meat?" asked Charles, turning into the kitchen to find Sean and Alex arguing over how many steaks they could each eat.

"Ten." Sean said smugly.

"Really? Well, I can eat about fifteen." Alex said smiling triumphantly.

"Can not." whined Sean.

"Can too."

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Can-"

"Alex! Sean! You're only going to get one each so stop arguing!" Charles said sitting Lily on the counter, before turning to Moira. "Honestly, sometimes it's like you've never seen food before!"

"Yes, Professor." They intoned respectfully. Behind Charles' back, Alex raised his hands and mimed "fifteen" over and over. Sean stuck his tongue out at the other boy and was about to say something back when…

"Ah!" Lily squeaked, pointing to Sean and laughing.

"Sh!" He said, looking at Charles worriedly while bribing Lily with a cookie. Charles smiled but didn't turn around, it was good the kids were getting along with her. In the past few days, they had all taken up older sibling responsibilities. Sean and Alex were model big brothers, playing with her when Charles or Erik were busy, and sneaking her little treats when they thought their "parents" weren't looking. Hank had taken it upon himself to teach her to read, somehow he always ended up reading her the story instead of the other way around. Lily had helped Raven with her self-image more then anyone else had, they'd been walking outside together when, out of nowhere, Lily had thought to Raven, _'You're more beautiful in your blue skin then blonde.' _And Raven had started walking around in her blue form more and more.

"So can we?" said Raven, interrupting Charles' thought process.

"Can we what?" He asked.

"Were you even listening to me? Sometimes I wonder about you, Charles." Raven said teasingly.

"I do hear voices. What can we do?"

"There's a drive-in theatre in town, and tonight's a triple-feature!"

"And?"

"_AND _we could take Lily to see her first movie!"

"That depends on what their showing." Charles said considering.

"Uh…it's a triple-feature Disney night so…" Raven pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket. "101 Dalmations, Cinderella, and…Lady and the Tramp."

Charles was thinking about it, as Raven crossed her fingers behind her back, when Erik walked into the kitchen looking deliciously like he'd just woken up from a nap. He made a beeline for Lily, who held up her arms to be picked up by the big man.

"Hey Erik, want to go see some movies tonight?" Charles asked as the metal-bender leaned against the counter holding the small girl securely in his arms.

"Movies?" He asked confused.

"Yeah at the drive-in. Can we go? Pleeeease?" Raven begged Erik, looking at him with wide puppy eyes. Erik looked from her to Charles and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'm game."

"YESSSS!" shouted Raven. "I'm gonna go tell Hank!"

"Can we get popcorn?" asked Alex.

"And candy?" asked Sean excitedly.

"Hold on, hold on. Raven when does it start?" Charles said.

"Uh, 8:30, can we take the converitble?" She replied before heading out in search of Hank.

"We'll have dinner first, then go to the movie. YES WE CAN TAKE THE CONVERTIBLE!" He shouted above the crowd of teenage excitement. Erik walked over to him and handed Lily over, smirking.

"One question." He asked.

"What?"

"What is a Cinderella?"

After an eventful dinner, which largely consisted of Sean and Alex arguing over who could cook their steak better, they all trooped into the convertible. Barely managing to fit four in the back, Moira stood next to the drivers side and said, "You guys go on without me. I'm going to sit this one out."

"Don't like Disney?" Alex said from the back.

"No, she just wants to sleep. You guys all ran her ragged with your arguing." Charles said winking at her. "We'll be back by midnight at least."

"Have fun."

Charles wheeled the car down the driveway and out onto the road. Alex leaned over to turn on some rock and roll radio station and they grooved their way to town. Lily was clapping her hands together and laughed along with the others, while Erik held her securely in his lap with both his hands and a metal bar.

"I still think the bar is a little excessive." Charles shouted over wind and music.

"You can never be too careful with little kids." Erik said watching the road intensly.

"Seeing as you're practically driving the car yourself and you won't let me go above forty miles an hour."

"You can never be to careful." Erik repeated.

Charles glanced over at him and did a double take.

"Where'd you _get _the bar?"

"I found it."

"Where?"

"In my bathroom."

"In your…the curtain rod?"

"It was either that or rip the plumbing out. I figured you wouldn't want me to mess with that." Erik said casually.

"You right about that, at least the curtain rod goes back in the wall." Charles said laughing. "Raven where is this place?"

As Raven leaned forward to give Charles directions, Erik looked down at Lily. Her gold-black hair had been pulled into a fluffy ponytail, courtesy of Raven, which was blowing back from the wind. She was trying to see out the window better, and kept pushing down on the bar across her lap in an attempt to push herself farther up.

'_Vati, Vati I wanna see.' _She thought to him. Erik's mind went blank for a moment as he slowly processed what she's said to him.

'_VATI!'_ She thought loudly, interrupting his space out.

"I'll let you up when we get there, Lily." He said absently. Charles looked over concerned, when the speedometer dropped to five mph before he could step on the gas.

'_What's wrong?'_ He thought to Erik.

'_Keep your eyes on the road.'_ Erik thought back.

They pulled up into the drive-in and parked close, but not too close, to the big screen. Once Hank and Alex had tuned the radio to the right station, they joined Raven and Sean to get popcorn and candy. Erik put the curtain rod in the back seat, opened the door, and set Lily on the ground. She squeeled, ran around for a minute then started spinning around in circles.

"She's really excited to be here." Charles said watching her with amusment.

"It's her first movie." Erik replied.

"And yours. You'll like it, everyone likes Disney."

"Charles…"

"I know, I'm sorry. It was just a really loud thought."

"It's always a loud thought with you." Erik said sighing.

"Erik, what's wrong?" Charles asked concerned.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Was it something one of the kids said?"

"No."

"Was it something I said?"

"God no."

"Then what? Tell me."

Erik said nothing for what felt like the longest time. He just continued to watch Lily spin in seemingly endless circles.

"She called me vati." He finally said quietly.

"What's that mean?" Charles asked cautiously.

"Why me? Why not you?" Erik asked, not answering Charles question.

"Why what?"

"Why is she so…attached to me? It's always me she runs to. When her room was finished she ran and got me to show it off to. When that spider was in her room, she woke _me_ up to come and kill it."

"And she was _so_ scared cause you didn't kill it, you just picked it up and put it outside her window." Charles said laughing uncontrollably. "And…and when she scared you sooo bad in that game of hide-'n-seek."

"I couldn't find her!"

"So you started pulling out all the metal in the house? What were you trying to do? Scare her out?" Charles said barely able to breathe from laughter.

"And what about you? Scaning over everything, practically frying everyone's brains out looking for her." Erik teased with a small smile on his face. The other kids came back from the concessions with a small mountain of popcorn and candy, jabbering away about which movie was his or her favorite.

"That's different. No one told me it was a game." protested Charles accepting the popcorn Sean offered him. "Besides she's attached to me too, just in a different way. There's a blanket in the trunk if you guys want to sit on the ground."

The kids all chorused "thank you" and started making themselves comfortable.

"How differently?" asked Erik.

"She likes my hugs and my smell, and she likes it when I cook too." Charles said rattling off a bunch of other things, as Erik watched Alex and Hank play with Lily.

"You know, she likes you because you're strong and won't let anyone or anything hurt her. She feels safe with you because she knows you'll protect her. And she's not afraid of you." Charles said suddenly, snapping Erik from his reverie. Erik looked at Charles in slight surprise before smiling and shaking his head.

"She wants to sit with you two." Alex said walking over with Lily and placing her into the middle seat as the movie started. Lily crawled over, settled into Erik's lap, and began playing with the older mutants calloused hands.

Raven and Hank ended up cuddling on the blanket together, while Alex and Sean sat entranced by Disney magic. Charles and Erik, after finishing their popcorn, had moved closer together until Lily had sprawled out onto both their laps. Lily watched the first two movies with the dedication only a small child can produce. She laughed at the bumbling thieves in 101 Dalmatians and sighed at Cinderella in her ball gown, but by the time Lady and the Tramp rolled around she couldn't keep her eyes open. Lily slowly drifted off to sleep with her thumb in her mouth and Erik's arm in her grasp. Charles was softly stroking her hair, his hand brushing Erik's every once and a while.

After the final credits, the rest of the children sleepily packed up the blanket and got into the car. The ride home was uneventful and peaceful in the late night. Charles pulled up to the mansion and let everyone out of the car, Erik said he would put Lily to bed, before pulling into the garage. As he walked into the house he went straight to the library and looked for a particular book. He smiled triumphantly when he found it, _German to English Translations 4th__ Edition_. He turned the pages quickly before finding what he'd been wondering about. Smiling slightly he put the book down softly and retreated upstairs to check on Lily before going to bed.

The book on the table was opened to the V section and right near the top; _Vati_ n. Father(inf.) other 'Daddy'


	6. Chapter 6

Ok, you've all been waiting soooo...i give you Lily's Story Part 1! it's a little longer then the others because i wanted to lead into it. i'll have part two up as soon as i think of it. Again i LOVE the reviews! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed or will review! Enjoy.

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><p>"I still think this is a bad idea."<p>

"Erik, the only reason you don't like it, is because she's human." Charles said. "And I'm still mad at you."

Charles and Erik were walking down the hallway, past closets and empty bedrooms. Erik, trailing after Charles, looking like a little lost puppy.

"I told you. Nothing happened! I just kissed her and told her she's beautiful in her normal form. That's it." Erik said, catching up to Charles with his much longer legs.

"Mm-hm."

"Hey!" Erik said, catching Charles' arm. "It the truth and maybe she wouldn't have come to me in the first place if her self-esteem wasn't so low."

"I know. I just…" Charles started dejectedly. "I wish she hadn't felt the need to go that far. Now come on, it's either her or we call someone."

They stopped in front of a closed bedroom door, knocking softly. After a few moments Moira yanked the door open.

"Alex, I don't care _what_ you can make it sound like…oh, sorry Charles, I thought…never mind. What did you want?"

"Would you mind if we came in?" He asked with a small smile.

"No, no not at all." Moira replied, moving over to allow the men entry. "What can I do for you?"

"Erik and I were wondering…If it would be possible…"

"Will you babysit Lily instead of coming with us?" Erik asked flatly. Moira looked taken back at his bluntness.

"What he means is…we'd feel more comfortable if you would watch over her while we're gone." Charles amended quickly. Moira looked uncertain.

"I don't know. The agency won't be very happy if I'm not there." She said.

"Then don't tell them." Erik said darkly.

"Please Moira? It would be a big favor. I'll even pay you." said Charles.

"Ooo, aren't I lucky? You don't have to pull out the checkbook Charles, I'll do it."

"You will? Thank you."

"Do I have a choice?" She said laughing as she worte something down. "Here, these are codes to give the American ships. They'll designate you as a friend so they won't blow you out of the sky."

"That's possible?" Chalres asked, handing the paper to Erik.

"You're going into a war zone where, if anyone so much as twitches, we'll be going to nuclear war with the Russians." Moira said.

"Point taken."

"You know," Moira began cautiously. "I haven't really spent as much time with Lily as you guys have…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Erik said defensivly.

"Nothing!" She said quickly. "I just was wondering if you'd found anything out about her past? I mean you guys are all going to run off and save the world right? I think I should know what I can about her now…just in case some of you don't come back."

Erik looked at Charles and shook his head after a moment. Charles stared him down before he finally threw his hands into the air.

"Fine! Do what you want! You usually do anyway." He said before storming off. Charles rolled his eyes to the ceiling, before inviting Moira to sit down.

"This will take a while." He said. "You might want to get comfortable."

"Have I done something wrong?" Moira asked, as she sat down cross legged on the bed.

"No, he doesn't trust anyone. Least of all humans." Charles repiled as he straddled a chair. "Where do you want to start?"

"Ummm…"

"I guess I should ask, do you want the story from the beginning?"

"I have been curious."

"It's not a nice story." Charles warned.

"I found her tied to a stake, Charles. How much worse could it get?"

"Much." He said. "I don't know if it's my right to tell you. I don't even know the whole thing, but…if I don't come back…"

"You will come back. I know it." Moira said reassuringly.

"If I don't, then someone needs to know besides Erik and I. Do you still want to listen?" Charles asked seriously.

Moira nodded after a moment.

"Alright. I'm going to take you back three years to Chicago, in a rundown, bad part of town. Where, in a rundown bad hotel, a young girl, who was barely fifteen years old, labored to bring a child into the world.

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><p>Rain lashed the solitary grimy window of the hotel room. On the bed a young girl, who wasn't even past childhood herself, labored hard to bring a baby into the world.<p>

"Come on, miss. One more good push should do it!" And old women said comfortingly. The women's sweat-streaked face was illuminated by a flash of lightning. She was pale blonde with wide purple eyes and fine, almost elfin, features.

"I can't." She gasped.

"You must." The old women said kindly.

The girl bore down in one last attempt and soon the air was filled with the sound of a baby's crying.

"Let me see." The girl said weakly, falling back onto the bed.

"Oh she's beautiful miss. Purple eyes just like yours, and gold black hair! Who'd ever seen such a thing!" The old women said, swaddling the infant in a white blanket.

"Please, let me see her." The girl said again.

"You will do no such thing." Said another women coming into the room. This women was stately and commanding. She had the same purple eyes but they were much colder and much crueler.

"Here's your money, now leave!" She said. "And remember, not a word to anyone!"

"That's the deal isn't it lady?" The old women cackled as she packed up her things.

"No, please let me see her!" The young girl pleaded to the cruel women, who slapped her across the face and grabbed a fistful of her hair.

"You will not embarrass this family any longer. Do you hear me? You came back, crawling on your knees, begging me to help you. Well I have. Now you do what _I _say, not the other way around. Understand?" She hissed.

"Please…I just want to see my baby." The girl whispered crying. The women threw her head back on the pillow.

"Take that…thing, away from here." She said giving the old women another stack of bills. The old women took the baby and money, leaving the girl moaning and pleading in the hotel.

"You are quite the beautiful thing, even for a newborn." She said to the baby, walking out her car. "Let's see, I guess I get to name you…what's this?"

The women pulled out a note from inside the blanket.

"Please name the child Lily…those are my favorite flowers. Hm…Lily, sounds good…Little Lily."

The old women drove farther into the nieghborhood and pulled up to an old broken down apartment complex. She slowly got out of the car, pulling the baby with her. She walked over to the door and rang the buzzer.

"Almost there little Lily." She whispered.

"What?" Snapped a male voice.

"I have the goods."

"Bring it up."

"Do you have my daughter?"

"Bring it up."

The door opened to show a staircase leading up to the second floor. The old women huffed up the stairs stopping every few steps. When she finally reached the apartment door she knocked sharply. It opened a crack revealing dark cold eyes.

"I'm here to see Romeo." She said.

The eyes disappeared a moment before the door fully opened to show a dark skinned man in a suit, beckoning her to follow him. He led her to a room lit by a single, naked bulb. A young man sat behind an old broken desk, surrounded by other men in suits.

"You have the trade?" He said darkly.

"I-I want to see my daughter first." The old women said, holding Lily to her chest.

"Do you have the money?"

"Yes."

The man snapped his fingers, a pair of big dangerous-looking men pulled a beaten and bloody looking women into view.

"KAYLEE! What have you done to her?" The old women shrieked advancing toward the man.

"Ah, ah, ah." He said shaking his finger at her as he pulled out a gun. "The money and the baby."

One of the guards came up to the old women and held out his arms.

"Do you even know how to hold a baby?" She asked angrily. The big man slowly shook his head the women rolled her eyes and arranged the man's arms before gently placing Lily and the money in them.

"Support the head, that's the most important." She said. The big man went over to Romeo, who picked up the stack of money and began to count it.

"Her name is Lily." The women said.

"Mm-hm. I see no reason to keep you and your daughter here any longer, Miss. Havisham."

"You'll let us go?"

"Haha! Of course…"

"Oh thank you!"

"Not!" Romeo said laughing. "Lenny search her."

One of the guys holding Kaylee went over and pulled the women's coat open to reveal a tape recorder and microphone.

"Miss. Havisham, what your real name?" Romeo asked.

"Re-Rebecca Nealy." She said swallowing quickly.

"Got that Frank? Kaylee and Rebecca Nealy, Mom and Pop'll want to know their names." He said, pointing his gun at them as Kaylee was shoved into her mother's arms.

"Please let her go! Kaylee's innocent! Please!" Rebecca pleaded hystarically.

"I'm sorry Miss. Nealy. But I don't like liars." He said smiling cruelly as he shot both women in the head. He cleaned the gun before handing it to one of his men.

"Melt that thing down and recast it. The rest of you clean up the mess. We'll meet back at headquarters in an hour. Lloyd, you're with me."

The big man holding Lily turned to Romeo and followed him out of the room.

"You got kids right?" Romeo asked walking down and out of the building.

"No, sir." Lloyd said in a deep voice.

"Oh, why not? You're a good-looking guy, need to pass on those good genes."

"I guess I never found the right girl." He replied with a smile.

"Well, you're gonna be a daddy for an hour. Take Jake's car and go to Hillary's, she's got the stuff you'll need. Then bring her and the baby to HQ so the Grandparents can meet her" Romeo said, tossing Lloyd the keys to a car.

"Sure boss. How hard could it be?" He said smiling down at the sleeping Lily.

Half an' hour later as he pulled up to Hillary's house, Lloyd wished he'd never taken the baby anywhere. It had started out fine, he'd placed the sleeping baby on the passenger seat next to him. Then, all of a sudden, she'd started crying…and crying…and crying.

"HILLARY!" He shouted, pounding on the front door. "GET OUT HERE NOW WOMEN!"

The lights went on inside and a women's voice screeched out, "I AIN'T YOUR WOMEN, LLOYD!"

The door was yanked open by a women holding a cigarette. She had a weather beaten face, long dark hair, and was wrapped in a flowery bathrobe.

"What do you want?" She asked snipily.

"Romeo said you'd have the stuff for a baby." Lloyd said.

"So?"

"_So?_ Is that all you can say? Come on! The kids been cryin' since I got in the car!" He said desperately. Hillary looked at him before throwing her cigarette on the ground and beckoning him inside.

"How old is it?" She asked, leading him into the kitchen.

"_She's_ only a couple hours. She was part of a money exchange that went…unfortunate. Got any beer?" He asked looking in the fridge.

"Do you see any? God, Romeo's getting' 'em younger and younger. What's he gonna do with this one? Grow her up then sell her or will he keep her and use her for himself?" She asked getting a bottle ready and putting a diaper on Lily at the same time.

"I don't think so. He wants the Grandparents to meet her." Lloyd said sitting huffily at the kitchen table.

"What would the Grandparents want with a baby?"

"I dunno. You gotta come too."

"For the love of…fine. Here, you feed her." Hillary said shoving the bottle into Lloyd's large hands as she hurried upstairs. He looked from the bottle to Lily, then back in confusion.

"Pick her up and put the bottle in her mouth!" She shouted down the stairs.

"I knew that!" He shouted back. Lloyd picked up Lily, tried to arrange his arms like Rebecca had, and put the bottle in her mouth. Her eyes opened wide and stared at him as she sucked the formula down.

"You are so pretty." Lloyd said smiling.

"You're pretty good at that." Hillary said from behind him, dressed in a slinky evening gown. Lloyd jumped about three feet, causing Lily to start crying again.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." Lloyd said, pushing the baby into Hillary's arms. "Ready to go?"

They drove in silence to downtown Chicago, stopping at a large hotel building.

"Park it and give the keys to Jake. It's his car, so don't get anything on it." Lloyd said tossing the keys to a valet.

"Ready?" Hillary asked, wrapping Lily more securely.

"No. have you met the Grandparents?" He asked as they were escorted into the most plush private club in all of Chicago.

"Yes, once when I was dating Romeo." She said suddering.

They were escorted to a roped off area with two security guards flanking it. They were both dressed in tuxedo's and had guns conceled under their jackets.

"What's your business?" The one on the right asked.

"We're here to see the Grandparents." Lloyd said.

"Only the girl goes through." The one on the left stood aaside as they lifted the rope for Hillary. She walked into a room filled with men, weapons, and smoke. She walked up to a very old couple dressed in eveing wear.

"Good evening, Grandmother. Grandfather." She said bowing slightly.

"Good evening, Hillary. Why have you come before us?" Grandfather asked.

"I have the child you wished to meet."

"Ah. The purple-eyed girl. Bring her here." Grandmother said, opening her arms. Hillary placed the sleeping infant in the elder womens arms.

"Oh my, she is beautiful. Her name is Lily. Is it not?"

"I don't know Ma'am. Lloyd never told me her name"

"Well, is it going to be her?" Grandfather asked.

"Look at those eyes. Yes I believe it will be her." Grandmother replied. "Your services are no longer required, Jake, pay Hillary for her time."

"May I Ma'am?" Hillary asked stepping forward.

"What?"

"She'll need to be taken care of, fed, changed, protected." She said quickly. "I was thinking perhaps…Lloyd and I could take care of her. The breaker deal is still hot, all of Chicago is looking for you. We could take her into hiding, pose as a family until you're able to come back into view."

Grandmother considered for a moment, then looked to Grandfather.

"How much?" He asked.

"Three thousand a month."

"She'd better be taken care of. If I get wind that your just taking the money and using it on yourselves…" He warned.

"Nothing of the kind will happen, Sir." Hillary said, gently taking Lily back from Grandmother. "What will her code name be?"

"Granddaughter."


	7. Chapter 7

Hello! This one has a warning on it cause it's a bit scary. The beginning part explains things from the first part. the quote i use is from William Butler Yeats, who is, in my opinion, one of the best poets in the world. Love the reviews And love all the people who read! Enjoy! 

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><p>"What?" Moira said, confusedly.<p>

"I know…more then a little confusing. But I didn't have much to go on. Her first two years of life are pretty blurry. True memories don't begin to form until about two or three, and her first real memory, with sounds and pictures, isn't until her mutation awoke at about two and a half." Charles replied.

"So how do you know about her birth?" Moira asked.

"I had a few…let's say friends, look into the circumstances of how she got here. They uncovered a few FBI reports about the Chicago mob, and a crack down by the police about…a year ago? That was the first time she was documented by any federal agency. A certain man named "Romeo" was quite forth coming about how they "found" Lily…especially when Erik went to talk with him." Charles said with an evil smile.

"You have a wicked streak in you, Charles." Moira said.

"Thank you. Erik thinks so too, I don't know why."

"Who was her mother?"

"Ah! That is an easy one…her name is Julia Vanderhousen. One of the wealthiest heiresses in the world. When Lily first came, I reckcognized her slightly by her purple eyes. All the Vanderhousen women have them, a family mutation." Charles said, pulling out a letter. "I sent her a message a few days ago…"

"Friends?" Moira asked, amazed at Charles' connections.

"Acquaintances. She thanked me for telling her where her daughter was, but…"

"She can't take her, can she?"

"No, not for lack of wanting her, but because she'd lose everything. Her mother, the cruel women, made a deal with Julia that she wouldn't have anything to do with Lily at all."

"Or she'd lose her inheritance." Moira said, shaking her head.

"Not just that, but her place in society, her livelihood, everything. She would have been disowned by her mother." Charles said sadly. "It's a pity not all families are like ours."

"Who are Hillary and Lloyd?"

"They are two extraordinarily wonderful people, who took care of Lily for the first year of her life, and wanted to keep her. They tried to steal her away from Chicago to San Fransico, but were stopped by the Mob." Charles said.

"What happened to them?"

"What else? They were killed for trying to keep her. The Grandparents took Lily in after that and started to raise her as their own, the FBI came and took her after the crack down, and she ended up here in New York because of child services."

"Wait wait…Does she remember Hillary and Lloyd? Or was her memory not developed enough for that?"

"She remembers a little, feelings mostly, not many images. Lloyd was…a lot like Erik. Soldier type with a dark past, but gentle and kind. I think that's why she likes Erik so much, she's come to associate that darkness with safety." Charles said smiling. "She's made such a difference with him…he's changed since she got here."

"I haven't noticed." Moira said.

"It's inside, where it counts."

"What about Hillary?"

"I actually got an image for her. Simple but strong, I use it when she's had a really nasty nightmare."

"What is it?" Moria asked excitedly.

"Lily's being held by her, and she's surrounded by a soft glowing light…I think it's a lamp, but she's talking to Lily. I don't know what and I don't think Lily does either, but it doesn't matter because it's the tone that counts. Soothing and low, soft and gentle…Hillary wasn't gorgeous, not by any Hollywood standards, but she was beautiful. In that moment she was beautiful." Charles said with a smiling, daydream tone.

"Is it possible…that the Grandparents were Shaw and Frost?" Moira asked slowly, thinking carefully.

"No, I thought that at first too, but they weren't in Chicago three years ago. From what I remember in Emma's mind, they were in Russia helping them prepare for a nuclear war with america."

"Ok, now the million dollar question. How did she end up tied to a stake behind a church?" Moira asked. Charles face darkened to an intense anger, leaving Moira wishing she hadn't asked.

"One thing I…_hate_ in _anyone _is ignorance. Not ignorance about mutation or ignorance of science or anything teachable. It's the ignorance that makes people run to so called _gods_ when they don't understand something that has a perfectly good answer."

"You don't like religion?"

'_Not when you sit in church and can hear how hypocritical everyone is.' _Charles thought to Moira.

"What happened?" She asked.

"For two and a half years, Lily was a normal…well slightly more unusual then normal, she could speak fairly well by this time, complete sentences and the like; but a normal little girl. Her foster mother was…abusive at best, torturous at worst. For six months she lived in relative peace, then…her mutation awoke.

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><p>"Haha! You're a stupid baby, with you stupid hair and your stupid eyes!" A young boy bullied. "You're so stupid an', an' you know what else?"<p>

"What?" Lily asked.

"You're stupid!"

"Uh-huh, you said that already." She said.

"Are you back talking me?"

Lily sighed inwardly, John was always doing this. He thought he was so much better then she was, just because she was two and a half and he was ten.

"You think you're so cool with your stupid purple eyes. But they're not cool! You're just a stupid freak!" John said pushing Lily to the living room floor.

"Ow! Leave me alone!" She whined. John just laughed and pulled his leg back to kick her.

"JOHN!" Yelled a brown-haired women coming into the room, brandishing a wood handled broom. "You leave Lily alone or I'll beat you into next week! Now GET!"

John scampered quickly out of the room, dodging the broom's handle aimed at his bottom. Lily jumped to her feet and tried to run to the backyard.

"Hold it, little girl!" The women said. "I'm not finished with you yet."

"But…"

"Were you the one who tracked all that mud into the house?" She asked advancing on Lily.

"N-no…Nick did!"

"Don't lie to me!" She shouted raising the broom.

"I'm not! Nick did it!" Lily cried raising her hands in front of her face.

"NICK!" The women shouted. "GET DOWN HERE! NOW!"

Lily ran outside as fast as she could and cowered behind the only tree there, a large oak tree. Although she was only two and a half, Lily was already showing an intense intelligence, and had learned to STAY AWAY whenever her caretaker was in one of her moods. She had never called the women "mother", in Lily's opinion that word was reserved for someone much, much kinder and much more loving.

She slowly peeked around the tree's width, to see if the coast was clear, only to see John run out of the house. He saw Lily and started walking toward the tree, looking madder then Lily had ever seen him. She shrank back into the shadows in fear, trying to hide herself.

"I know you're in there, stupid!" He yelled stomping up. "You told mom Nick tracked mud into the house!"

"He did!" Lily cried.

"But now Nick's hurt! Mom br-…He fell down the stairs and broke his arm! Now I don't have anyone to play with!" He shouted back at Lily. "So gues what?"

"W-what?"

"You'll have to play with me."

"G-go away!" She said. Whenever John played with her, she always got hurt.

"And you know what I want to play?" He said, grinning maleviolently.

"Leave me alone!" She cried backing up to the fence as John creeped up to her.

"We're gonna play doctor, Lily and you get to be the first paitent."

"Go away! AH!" Lily shrieked, as John pulled her toward the back of the shed. He was a lot stronger then she was and no matter how hard she tugged, he kept laughing and pulling her.

"Little Lily is so sick and needs an operation!" He sang out, as he tied her up with duct tape.

"Let me go!" She screamed, terrified.

"No! You got Nick in trouble! He didn't do anything to you! It's your fault he got hurt!" He said, pulling out a sharp knife from the kitchen.

"Stop it!"

He raised the knife above his head, smiling maniacally, and brought it straight down.

"STOP!" Lily screamed hysterically, curling into a fetal position. The blow never landed on her and after a moment she uncurled herself to peek up. John was standing, frozen, with the knife centimeters from her side. She scooted as far back from him as possible, but he just stood there, stiff and posed. Lily tried to get out of the bonds, when suddenly she heard whispering all around her slowly getting louder.

'_stopthathurtsican''s_

_goingonwhycan'timovemyarmhurtsI'msorryNickIcan'tmoveOwI'mSoSorryICAN"TMOVE!'_

John fell back as he regained feeling in his body again. He looked over at Lily in fear before running toward the house leaving her there, twitching, eyes rolling back into her head, spit foaming at her mouth.

"MOM! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH LILY!" John yelled. The women ran out of the house, following John behind the shed. She took one look at Lily, crossed herself and pulled John away.

"Get away from her John! She's been possed by the devil. Go, get me the phone. Now!" She said. As John ran off into the house the women gently picked Lily up, not untying her, and brought her inside.

Thrity minutes later a fat evil-looking man dressed as a preist, rang the doorbell. The women hurriedly opened the door in relief.

"Father Ferus, I'm glad you came." She said desperately.

"It's alright my child. These things can happen to anyone. Where's the girl now?" He asked coming into the house.

"In her room. I've kept the other children away from her, like you told me." She said leading the man upstairs to a locked door.

"Good work. It would be best if you and the children weren't around. I may need to take her with me to the church if it doesn't go well." He said taking the key she offered him,

"Yes, father." The women said. "I'll tell child services she's with me and the children on vacation."

"Go now." He said, unlocking the door and opening it a crack. He shook his head slightly and went in shutting the door with a snap!.

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><p>"And?" Moira asked terrified.<p>

"And she was exorcized…many, many times." Charles said angrily.

"But…there was nothing wrong with her! After the first…"

"After the first time the priest concluded that there was more then one demon inside her and that they wouldn't be pulled out by "conventional" means."

"How…?"

"I won't go into detail. I don't think I could…Erik can barely stand her nightmares." Charles said as Moira blanched.

"Was she…?"

"No she wasn't raped, the one thing they didn't do to her. If she had been I'm pretty she Erik and I would have…well let's just say we wouldn't have killed him." Charles said with a hard face.

"Why doesn't she speak?"

"The priest constantly asked the "demon" to speak through her. When she answered it only caused pain and other tortures."

"My god." Moira said swinging her legs down to the ground.

"Thankfully, her story continues, since you found her. Hopefully it's going to be a better one." Charles said standing up.

"With you and Erik as her mommy and daddy? Of course it will be." Moira said opening the door to her room. "Charles, one last question, what happened to the other kids? Nick and John?"

"As far as I know they're still with the women, Lindsey, I believe her name is, Lindsey Thompson. Get some sleep." He replied, as he left. Instead of going to bed, Moira sat down at her desk and started to write a letter to her partner.

Charles walked through the upstairs hallways, until he got to Lily's room. Faint classical music was playing through the door and a shadow was being cast under the door. Charles searched with his mind until he felt Erik's on the other side of the door.

'_May I came in?'_ He asked. The handle turned and the door was opened a crack. Charles went inside to see the lights dimmed down and Erik sitting in the rocking chair with Lily draped across him sleeping, her thumb in her mouth. Moonlight Sonata was playing softly in the background.

'_You told her?' _Erik thought.

'_Not the whole thing. Just the important pieces.'_

'_Charles…'_

'_I know you don't approve but…Moira's right we might not come back.'_

'_You'll come back.' _Erik thought with conviction. Charles smiled and shook his head.

'_No one can know for sure, my friend.'_

'_I guess not. Help me put her to bed?'_

Charles nodded and picked her up from Erik's chest. He put her gently into the child sized bed and smoothed her hair back. Erik came up behind him and put his arms around his waist.

'_She's so beautiful.'_ He thought as he put his chin on Charles shoulder.

'_There the Loves a circle go, the flaming circle of our days, gyring, spiring to and fro in those great ignorant leafy ways; remembering all that shaken hair and how the wingèd sandals dart, thine eyes grow full of tender care: Beloved, gaze in thine own heart.' _Charles thought to Erik. _'Yeats seems more appropriate for her then Shakespeare or Pope.' _

'_To bed then?' _Erik thought standing up straight.

'_Yes, your room or mine?'_

'_Yours, your beds bigger, when she climbs in, eventually, it's not so crowded.' _

Charles smiled as they left the room together, Lily shifted a little then settled again, as though she sensed their leaving. The house was quiet with the expectation of tomorrow and what promise it would bring.


	8. Chapter 8

Hallo! this one has a couple swear words and, yes i finally did it, i put some Erik/Charles in. just a taste, maybe more. thanks for the reviews and thank you all for reading! this one's a little short but all the same...Enjoy!

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><p>"What was it you said…in Lily's room?" Erik asked as he walked out of the bathroom shaking his shirt out.<p>

"It was part of a poem written by W. B. Yeats. Why?" Charles replied as he pulled off his sweater and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"No reason. What's wrong Charles?"

"Huh?" Charles said looking up at Erik.

"Ever since we got to your room you've been projecting a very melodramatic since of foreboding into my mind."

"Sorry, it's just…we might not come back tomorrow."

"And that bothers you?" said Erik raising an eyebrow.

"Doesn't it you?"

"No, my sole purpose has always been to kill Shaw. Whether or not I die in the process…" He said shrugging his shoulders.

"So, if somehow we all die tomorrow…you wouldn't care that we'd be leaving Lily all alone to fend for herself?"

"That's not the point…"

"Bull-shit" Charles said. Erik looked at him in surprise, the younger man rarely, if ever, swore. "I've seen the way you take care of Lily, holding her like she'll break into pieces at any moment, always having to know where she is at any given moment…"

"I-"

"And the other kids! Pushing them to better themselves, forcing them to get stronger, faster! Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you would go off and leave all of them alone with no protection, no nothing? Do you really have no other purpose, Erik?"

"What do you expect me to say, Charles? That I'll stay and live here? Abandon everything I've worked for most of my life? That we'll walk off into the sunset with the children and everything will be rosy?" Erik exploded at Charles.

"NO! I expect nothing more then what you're willing to give. But can you honestly say you have no other purpose then killing? I know what Lily calls you! I know the children adore you! Bloody hell man! You _have_ to see it too!"

Erik's mouth dropped open in surprise and shock. His face went pale and he looked scared for the first time as Charles stood up and advanced toward him.

"S-so what?"

"SO WHAT? You owe it to her! To them! She's been left and betrayed and hurt to many times for YOU," Charles said poking him roughly in the chest. "to let her down now! She has NEVER called ANYONE father before and will NOT let you ruin this for her or yourself."

With every stab of Charles finger, Erik backed up until he hit the closed bedroom door. Charles looked up at him with his face contorted into frustration and hurt as Erik looked down at the smaller man dejectedly.

"I wouldn't make a good father, Charles." He said, not meeting the telepath's eyes.

"I beg to differ." Charles snapped, "You've protected them, cared for them…hell if it wasn't for me you'd all but spoil Lily! She's got you wrapped around her little finger, don't deny it!"

"What about you? Giving her, her own room decked out all in purple! And saying, 'oh don't you think Lily would like this?', every time we go out to get supplies?" Erik said feebly.

"Don't try to turn this around on me!"

"Why not?"

"Because she choose YOU. She loves YOU, Erik. Because you protect her, care for her, are willing to die for her, NOT because you can pull a satellite around or because you tried to lift a submarine. She loves _you_." Charles said, choking up.

"She loves you too." Erik said after a moment looking ashamedly at the ground.

"I know…but if I don't come back and Shaw gets away, I don't want you running after him and endangering her life just because you have to kill him." Charles said wiping his eyes. Erik looked up and took Charles face in his hands. The other man's eyes were filled with tears and so blue they looked like infinity pools. He brushed hair and tears away from Charles face as he looked deep into his eyes.

"I will not abandon them, Charles, especially not Lily. She's…meine Kleine. No one will hurt our children. Do you understand?" Erik asked gently. Charles closed his eyes and smiled a little.

"Meine Kleine, my little one…I do Erik, I do."

Erik leaned down and gently, hesitantly, placed his lips over the telepath's. Charles eyes shot open in surprise but soon drifted shut again as he leaned into Erik's solid body. The kissed deepened and became more and more ferocious as they pressed into one another desperately. After a few long moments, Erik broke for air.

"Oh no you don't." Charles growled yanking him down again. Charles felt himself be lifted and thrown across the room to the bed by his belt buckle. He only had time to think, _'It's about damn time.'_, before his mind went blissfully blank.

Later, as he was stretched out on his stomach under the covers, his hair tousled and sweaty, Erik brushed his hands across his back.

"You know," Erik said in a low voice. "If I'm the dad of the family, then that makes you…"

"One hot mama." Charles said peeking up at Erik, smiling. Suddenly his face fell and he squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

"Charles? What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Erik asked sitting up and turning him over.

"No, Lily's having a nightmare. She's projecting." Charles said rubbing his temples.

"I'll go." Erik said rolling off the bed and pulling on his pants.

"Wait…Sean's getting up"

"Sean?"

"Hold on."

Charles put his fingers to his temple and honed in on Sean's mind.

'_Sean?'_

'_Professor?'_

'_Is Lily ok?'_

'_She's having a nightmare. W-what should I do?'_ Sean asked panicking.

'_Are you in the room with her?'_

'_Yes. Professor, she's crying!' _

'_Calm down, Sean. Can you wake her up?'_ Charles thought soothingly.

'_I don't know.'_

'_Try.'_

"Charles…" Erik said.

"Shhh…Sean?"

'_She won't wake up. I-…'_

'_Mummy?'_ Interrupted a small voice.

'_Can you-…'_ Charles began.

'_Mummy!'_

'_Sean! Are you-…'_

'_MUMMY!'_

"OW! Erik go get her!" Charles said curling in on himself.

"Going, you put some pants on for godsake." He said before running out the door.

Erik ran into Lily's room to find Sean, floating, curled in a ball holding his head, while Lily wept in her sleep. He carefully pulled Sean out of the air and pushed him out of the room before turning to Lily. She was laying on her bed weeping pitifully, her eyes tightly shut. Erik walked over and, ever so gently, picked her up, his mind blank as to how he was going to calm her.

Suddenly he remembered something from his past that might help.

"Guten Abend, gute Nacht, Mit Rosen bedacht. Mit Naeglein besteckt, schlupf unter die Deck'. Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt. Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt. Guten Abend, gute Nacht, Von Englein bewacht. Die zeigen im Traum, dir Meine Kleine Kinder. Schlaf nun selig und suess, Schau im Traum's Paradies. Schlaf nun selig und suess, Schau im Traum's Paradies." He sang, quietly and soothingly, as Lily slowly stopped crying and relaxed into his arms. Erik breathed a sigh of relief and turned to carry her to Charles' room, when he saw all the kids crowded around the doorway.

"Could you…sing it again?" Alex asked shyly, leaning against the doorframe. Before Erik could open his mouth, Charles sent them all a message.

'_You heard him sing once…now go back to bed. We have an important day tomorrow.'_

'_Thank you.'_ Erik thought as the kids dispersed back to their rooms.

'_Bring her to our room. She can sleep with us tonight, unless you object…'_

'_I don't care. But Charles…'_

'_I put pants on'_

Erik smirked as he carried Lily's sleeping form to their room. Charles had just finished tucking in new sheets, when he walked in.

"Is she asleep?" Charles whispered.

"Yeah. Completely out."

"Erik, I don't care what you say…you'd make a great father."

Charles got into bed and held up the covers for him. Erik got in and tucked all of them in. Lily snuggled up to Charles and reached for Erik's arm, within a matter of moments Charles was fast asleep along with her. Erik looked down at the only two people in the world who could control him without using any of their unique abilities and, for the first time since his mother was killed, cried himself to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Hihi! here's a new chapter! translation is 'Do what you want, love, we'll be back soon.' and the other one is 'brothers'. Again love the reviews! i hope you enjoy reading! 

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><p>"Lily? Lily it's time to wake up. Lily?"<p>

Lily cracked open her violet eyes and pushed herself up until she was sitting in the middle of Charles large bed, the covers tucked nicely around her.

"Did you have a nightmare last night?" Moira asked sitting next to her on the bed. Lily rubbed her eyes as she nodded and projected a mental image of Charles and Erik to Moira.

"Their going to be gone today. Some business to take care of. They said they'd be back later, hopefully. Before you go to bed." Moira said brightly. Lily nodded again and yawned wide. She crawled out from under the covers and ran into the connecting bathroom. Moira smoothed the sheets and turned to the bedside table, where she spied a note with Lily's name on it.

'_Will you read it?'_

Moira turned to Lily and smiled.

"Isn't Hank teaching you how to read?" She said winking. Lily smiled and stuck out her lower lip.

"Alright alright. Come on, I'll read it to you as we eat breakfast." She said taking Lily by the hand.

'_Where are sissy and Brüder?'_ Lily asked as she drank her milk.

"They're with Erik and Charles…helping. They'll be back at the same time. Want me to read the note?" Moira asked quickly. Lily nodded and levitated the paper up to Moira's eyes. She laughed and started reading.

" 'Dear Lily, we'll be back soon. Be good for Moira, she'll take care of you. Love, Charles. Mach was du willst, lieben, werden wir bald zurück. Erik.' Hmm…I wonder what that means? What Lily?"

Lily just shook her head as she giggled.

'_What are we going to do today?'_ She asked.

"Well _you_ are going to finish your breakfast. Then maybe we could go outside." Moira replied folding up the letter.

After Lily finished her breakfast and helped Moira by levitating the dishes into the sink, they both went outside to the patio. Lily laughed and ran to the railing.

"Ah! No sliding, you know what happened last time!" Moira said as she dragged a table toward the stairs. Lily stuck out her tongue at Moira but walked down the stairs to the grass. Moira set up the table and a chair so she could get some much needed work done while Lily ran around on the grass.

After awhile Moira looked up to check on Lily but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Lily? Lily!" Moira said jumping up from the table. "Oh god, Erik's going to kill me! Liiii-llllyyy!"

Moira ran around the grounds searching for the small child.

"LILY!" She screamed in desperation.

'_Moira?'_ said a small voice.

"Lily! Thank god! Where are you?" Moira said in relief.

'_I-I'm in the house.'_

"Where?" She asked running inside.

'_By the big stairs…bring butter.'_

"Bring…What?" Moira said as she skidded to a stop in front of the main staircase to the upstairs. Lily was sitting on one of the steps, her head caught between the railings.

"How…? Nevermind, I'm getting a saw."

'_No! Mummy will be mad!' _

"Honey, I don't think he'll be so mad when I tell him your head was stuck." Moira said pulling a tool box out of a nearby closet.

'_But…'_

"Now hold still." She said pulling out a small saw. Moira held Lily's head away from the rail as she sawed through the wood. Lily whimpered a little as the teeth came close to her neck.

"Shhhh…I know what I'm doing. I had three little brothers growing up." She said calmly.

CLUNK! The rail came free and Lily's head was released from it's hold. She rubbed her neck a bit then ran off up the stairs.

"Lily! Stay out of the other's room's!" Moira called after her. She was only answered by a giggle.

Later in the afternoon, Lily had tired herself, and Moira, out and was asleep on the library couch. Moira tucked a blanket around her and was just about to start a book when…RING! RING!

"Hello?" Moira said answering the phone.

"Moira?"

"Erik?" She said in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Is Lily ok?"

"She's fine. Erik what's going on? Is everything…"

"Relax, we're still on the plane. Nimwit here decided to take us to Cuba up through Greenland."

"Hey, I said I was sorry!"

"Was that Hank?" Moira asked.

"No, we let Sean be in charge of the map."

"Well there's your problem. Lily's fine, she's taking a nap right now. We just finished a game of hide and go seek tag."

"Sounds…fun…Tell her we'll be back soon. Ok?" Erik said uncomfortably.

"Of course. Oh! I read your letter to her, what did you tell her?"

"Uhhh…same thing Charles did…Want to talk to him?" Erik said quickly.

"Sure." Moira said. There was a moment of fumbling then Charles voice came out.

"Moira?"

"Charles! I'm really sorry but Lily got her head stuck in the railing of the main staircase and…"

"WHAT? Is she ok? What happened?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. But she's fine. I got her out and she ran off to play some more. One of the rails is gone though so sorry about that."

"So long as she's ok that's all that matters. I've got to go…tell Lily we're all thinking of her, ok?"

"Will do…and Charles? Come back safe."

"We will Moira. Everyone say goodbye!"

"BYE!" Everyone chorused.

"Bye, everyone!" Moira said before hanging up.

'_Mummy? Vati?'_ Lily asked sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Not yet sweetheart. Later." Moira said soothingly. "Want to help me make a cake for when they get home?"

Lily's eyes got huge as she nodded her head and followed Moira to the kitchen. Two hours later, there was more flour on them and the surrounding area then there was in the cake.

"Hehe, we look like powder puffs!" Moira giggled as she finally put a large chocolate cake and a smaller vanilla cake into the hot oven. Lily was floating the pots and wooden spoons around, making them dance with her powers.

"You're getting good at that." Moira said sitting down at the island counter. "Have you been practicing?"

'_With Mummy and Vati._

"It shows."

'_They say that if I concentrate hard enough I could move anything I want to.'_

"I'm sure they're right." Moira said turning to fill a mug with coffee.

CLANG! CR-R-RACK! The pots fell to the ground in a shower of wooden splinters.

"Lily? Are you ok?" Moira asked turning back quickly. Lily was staring intensely off into the distance, her purple eyes began to glow faintly white and she started to hyperventilate.

"Lily?" Moira said moving to her.

"VATI! MUMMY! NO!" Lily screamed in a terrible voice.

"Lily!" Moira said frightened. Panicking she grabbed Lily by the shoulder and felt herself being pulled out of her body toward somewhere.

Her mind was transported to a beach, Cuba, Moira dimly released. Lily, standing further away from her among the wreckage of the crashed jet, was staring at…a beached submarine?

'_Lily what's going on?' _Moira asked mentally. Lily turned to her, stared blankly, then turned back to watch the unfolding scene. Charles stumbled out of the demolished jet, fell, forced himself back up and stumbled toward the sub. Lily walked forward following Charles, Moira being pulled along for the ride.

'_Li-…'_

Erik crawled out of the submarine, wearing a helmet, leaving a trail of blood droplets behind him. A coin, floating beside him, was thrown out to the ocean by his power. He smiled a moment then passed out. Charles tried to reach him but stopped and looked out to sea in horror. Everyone stopped fighting as they heard the noise.

BOOM! BOOM!

All the ships began opening fire on the beach, the mutants stared as the missiles descended toward them. Charles closed his eyes, Raven and Hank grabbed one another, Alex and Sean fell to their knees. The others simply stared in disbelief.

'_**VATI! MUMMY!'**_ Lily screamed in her mind. Her voice brought everyone, mutant and human, to their knees. As the missiles came closer, Lily raised her arms. The missiles slowly stopped, sputtered and exploded, falling into the ocean.

'_**ENOUGH!' **_She yelled in a deep voice, well beyond her years._** 'ENOUGH BLOOD HAS BEEN SPILLED FOR THIS PEACE.'**_

'_Azazel, take everyone to Lawrence hospital center just outside Rochester.' _Moira thought, hoping he could hear her. Azazel nodded and held out his hands. Everyone who could walk helped someone who couldn't and with a CRACK! They all disappeared. After a moment the ships in the ocean began again to fire away at the beach.


	10. Chapter 10

Another Chapter! this was going to be part of chapter nine but it got too long so i split it up. It might be a bit short but oh well. Thanks for the Reviews! 

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><p>Moira suddenly found herself back in the kitchen, hanging on to Lily and the table for dear life.<p>

"W-what…"

"Vati! Mummy!" Lily cried pulling Moira's arm as she stumbled to the door. Moira turned off the oven, scooped Lily up, and ran for her car. Moira drove as fast as possible to the hospital and pulled up to the E.R. where Raven and Hank were sitting on the curb, holding each other.

"What's happened?" Moira asked.

"They wouldn't let us in!" Raven said standing with tears and anger in her eyes. Moira set her jaw, handed Lily to Raven and marched into the lobby saying, "Come with me."

She strode up to the women sitting at the desk and pulled out her badge.

"My name is Moira MacTaggert, FBI Agent. These are my co-workers. Where is Erik Lensherr's room? " She said brusquely. The women looked over at Moira with a bored expression and said, "Are you a family member?"

"No, but if you don't tell me where he is then I can guarantee that you will, not only be out of a job, but unable to find work for the rest of your life." Moira said dangerously. Raven smiled wickedly behind her.

"Right, you're his sister and cousins! Of course, he's in room 301, 3rd floor intensive care." the women said quickly.

"Thank you." Moira said ushering the kids toward an elevator. They impatiently rode the elevator up and when the doors finally opened, they saw Alex, Sean, and Angel sitting outside the door to Erik's room.

"Moira!" Alex said standing.

"What's going on?" Raven asked.

"The doctor said Erik's in a coma, he got beat up pretty badly, the Professor's in the room with him now." Sean said, his face pressed into his knees.

"Vati! Mummy!" Lily said wiggling to get down from Raven's arms. Everyone looked at her in amazment as Raven placed her on the ground.

"Oh yeah, she talks now." Moira said by way of explaination. "Where's Riptide and Azazel?"

"They left right after they brought us here. Don't know where." Angel said quietly. Moira looked closely at all the mutants, they were all in varying degrees of injury. She sighed and pulled Sean and Angel to their feet.

"Come on, I'll take you kids to the E.R. to get looked at. Lily! Stay here!" Moira said herding the kids to the elevator. Lily waited for them to leave then ran up to the door, kicking and banging on it. Charles opened the door, picked Lily up and brought her inside the room. Erik was laying in the only bed, hooked up to machines with tubes and wires coming off him. Charles sat in a chair next to him with Lily in his lap, softly stroking her hair.

"Was that you, Lily? Did you stop the bombs?" He asked after several moments.

"Yes, Mummy." She said. _'Is Vati going to die?'_

"I don't know, Love." He said his voice breaking. "This is all my fault."

Charles pressed his face into Lily's hair and began to cry. Lily turned slightly and hugged him hard.

'_No, Mummy, it's not your fault. And even if it was, Vati wouldn't blame you. He loves you, just like me.'_ Lily thought tears leaking out of her eyes. Charles hugged her back and they remained like that for a long time.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Hank?" asked Charles, looking up to see all the kids crowded around the door.

"Could we…can we…?" Raven asked tentatively stepping into the room.

"Come on in." Charles said holding out a hand. They all rushed in, dragging the chairs and table closer to Erik. Moira stood at the door and looked on, sadly, at the scene. After a moment Charles looked up at her and extended his hand again.

"You're welcome here, Moira." He said.

"I know, but…it's not my place. I took care of her for you Charles, you owe me one. If anyone tries to force you to leave, call this number."

Moira concentrated for a moment until Charles nodded, she smiled slightly before turning to go.

"Moira." Alex said, watching her with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I wish I could…but I can't."

"Moira, please."

She simply turned and walked away, closing the door behind her. Alex slumped back in his seat, as tears slowly worked their way down his face. Sean leaned over and put his arm around the other boy's shoulders as he cried silently.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Charles said. "I wish…"

"No, I'm not sorry. I had the time of my life and I'm proud to have gotten to know her. If she couldn't handle this…" Alex said sweeping his hand over everything. "Then she couldn't, it's as simple as that."

Charles smiled a little and settled back in his seat. Lily leaned back into his chest, staring at Erik's body like he was going to get up at any second.

"Hey! Did anyone notice that Lily's started to talk?" Raven asked out of the blue.

"Hmm?" Charles said.

"Yeah she talks!" Hank said.

"Does she?" Sean asked.

"What did she say?" asked Alex.

Everyone looked at her as she squirmed a little in Charles lap. She opened her mouth, closed it then, taking a deep breath, opened it again.

"Mummy, I-" she stopped.

"Yes?" He prompted gently.

"I…l-love…y-you." She said struggling to get the words out.

Alex and Sean slapped hands together, while Raven hugged Charles and Lily, and Hank looked on like a proud big brother. Lily squirmed down to the floor and walked slowly over to Erik's hooked up body. She touched his hand gently with her fingers.

"Vati, I-Ich lie-be d-dich." She said softly. Suddenly his pulse went up just a hair and his brain waves bliped just a little. Charles' eyes got wide as he jumped up and started dancing with Raven.

"He's alive! He's alive! He's somewhere in there! I felt it!" He said. Everyone started to whoop and shout, Hank grabbed Raven from Charles and kissed her. Sean and Alex grabbed Angel and started to dance around the room with her. Charles simply scooped up Lily and hugged her happily.

"Thank you, Love. Thank you so much." He whispered to her. Lily just smiled and hugged him back.


	11. Chapter 11

HI! It's me again! i needed to write some cute stuff after all that angst and somesuch so here it is! yes the end part isn't so cute but oh well. translations are as follows: Aren't you a beautiful cat? Yes you are. So beautiful., and: She is so pretty. thanks for the reviews and please enjoy! 

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><p>A week later, Charles dropped to his bed in exhaustion after coming back from the hospital. Erik was still in a coma and the doctors said he wouldn't be coming out anytime soon. Moira had just called to tell him that Emma Frost had been broken out of jail, he hadn't slept since Cuba <em>and<em>, all in all, it hadn't been a very good week. He turned over and placed his hand on Erik's side of the bed.

"I'm so sorry my friend…" He whispered closing his eyes.

"Professor?" Hank asked knocking softly on the closed door. Charles sighed, stood up and rubbed his eyes, before opening the bedroom door.

"Yes, Hank?" He asked.

"Uh…I wouldn't bother you but…you've gotta come see this." the blue fluffy mutant said nervously.

"What is it?"

"You have to come see."

"Hank, I'm dead tired. I haven't slept for a week and…"

"She wants you to come." Hank said quietly. Charles dropped his head to the door frame and sighed deeply.

"If music be the food of love, play on." He said finally.

"What?"

"Just take me."

Hank led him down to the library, where everyone was crowded around something in the middle of the room. Charles, unconsciously, did a surface scan of everyone in the room. They seemed to be in a state of "awwww…" over…

"Charles! Get out of our heads!" Raven said turning to him with a petulant look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Raven. I'm just so tired." He said walking over toward the kids. "I just…Are you holding a blue kitten?"

"Can we keep them?" Alex asked with a calico in his arms.

"Please?" said Sean, smiling at a sleeping grey one.

"Them?" Charles asked walking over to the box Angel and Lily were still looking at. Inside a big black, gold, and brown mother cat glared up at him with bright yellow eyes. Two more kittens were snuggled into her side like small extenstions. Charles could feel her thoughts as he reached in to pick up a golden tabby.

"Uh…we aren't going to hurt them…we're just looking…yes…you're sure?…ok I'll tell them." He said turning to look at everone else. "Ahem…Regina says we can be a part of the family but if you hurt the babys she's going to…what was it?…oh…eat your faces in the night."

"Don't worry so much Mama." Raven said nose to nose with the blue kitten. "We've got it under control."

"Regina?" Hank asked.

"What? It's her name, appropriate too. It means Queen in Latin." Charles said handing the golden tabby to Angel, who looked at him in surprise. He then reached into the box and let Regina sniff his hand. She immediately started purring and butted her head under his hand so he could scratch her ears.

"N'êtes-vous pas un beau chat? Oui vous êtes, si belle," He murmured as he rubbed her ears and chin.

"Sweet-talker. You owe me twenty bucks Alex." Raven said grinning at him.

"That's amazing. How'd you do that?" Alex said forking over the money.

"What?" Charles said confused.

"She hissed and growled at all of us when we first brought her in." Angel said softly, as she petted her kitten. She was still afraid of being thrown out of the house if she made a wrong move.

"She must like me." Charles said with a shrug.

"Sie ist trés jolie." Lily said reaching tenitively toward Regina.

"No, Lily." Hank said pulling her hand away.

"Wait." Charles said. "Look."

Regina gently pushed the smallest kitten toward Lily with her paw. The little kitten was an almost exact copy of herself except the little one had bright blue eyes. The kitten wobbled over to Lily and they both stared at each other with wide round eyes. Lily hesitantly reached out to stroke the kittens head.

"Puella." She said smiling as the small cat purred up at her.

"Puella?" Raven asked watching Lily pet the kitten.

"It's Latin for child."

"Latin?"

"Yes, how long has she been speaking German and French?" Chalres asked scratching Regina under the chin.

"She speaks a mix of German, French, English and Latin. But she still "talks" mind to mind. And that's all English." Hank said watching everyone.

"Hmmm…I know where she picked up German, but…French? Latin? I've never spoken to her in anything other then English." Charles said as Regina pushed his hand away with her paw.

"Well she's been inside you and Erik's heads from day one…maybe she picked it up?" Alex said bringing over his calico and putting her back in the box.

"Maybe…Wait a minute. How did these cats get here in the first place?" Charles asked. Everyone urned to look at Sean, who was making baby noises at the grey kitten.

"Boo-boo, Ga-g-…What? They were outside the gate. I figured…they need a home as much as we do. The fa-…I mean, Regina nearly killed me as I brought them in but I thought you wouldn't mind, professor." He said in a small voice.

"So can we keep them?" Raven asked pulling a string a round for the blue kitten to play with.

"Please?" said Sean.

"Pretty please?" Alex asked.

'_More mouths to feed'_ Charles thought with smile.

'_Mummy.'_ Lily thought. Charles looked over to see Puella trying to get out of the big box, her blue eyes fixed on Lily. Charles lifted the small cat out of the box and placed her in Lily's lap.

'_Hehe! Her mind tickles Mummy!'_

Charles rolled his eyes and smiled at his smallest charges bfore saying, "I guess we can keep them."

"Yes! Woo-hoo!"

"I claim the Calico!" Alex said.

"I get the grey one!" Sean shouted.

"Mine's blue!" Raven said smiling as she played with him.

"I'll take Oro." Angel said, eyes shining down at the golden sleeping kitten.

"Right we have to name them." Charles said looking for a piece of paper before Hank handed him a pad and pencil. "So! What will the names be?"

"Rodney! I call Rodney!" Sean yelled.

"Rodney." Chalres said joting down the name and color of the cat.

"Lady." Alex said simply.

"Lady…"

"Oro, because he is gold." Angel said with a broad smile.

"Oro…"

"Azure." Raven said laughing as the kitten jumped up to get the string.

"Azure…Lily?"

"Ahahahahaha!" She laughed. The small kitten was crawling around, sniffing every part of Lily it could get at. "Puella! Puella!"

"Puella it is then. And last but not least, Regina." Charles said writing all the names with a flourish. "Now you guys have to take care of your cats. I'll buy the food and litter, but you have to take care of them. Ok?"

"Don't worry, Professor." Alex said.

"Yeah, we'll take care of everything." Sean added. Charles smiled and went to sit in a chair, next to Hank.

"Did you do the tests?" He asked the scientist.

"Yes, she's not as powerful as we first thought, but then she's only three…" He replied pulling out a yellow note pad. "I've been able to isolate the exact genetic…"

"Hank, I'm almost dead on my feet. As the kids say, speak English, please."

"Uh…she's got the potential to be as strong as you telepathically but, like I said, she's only three so it's a guess. Her telekinetic ablities are limited, only about a mile or so out, but what she can do is pretty cool. Again she's too young to make any definitive guesses on her strength…ummmm…I guess, point blank…she's shouldn't have been able to do what she did in Cuba. That was waaaaay out of her league, not to mention her range, and control."

"What?"

"She's just too young…mutation normally comes out at puberty, right? Well, hers was triggered by adrenaline and fear at a very young age, I'm actually surprised she's even able to keep such good control."

"That's my doing. I constructed a mental barrier around her mind the first day she was here." Charles said.

"Oh…oh!…Maybe…" Hank said writing down a few things. "That makes a lot more sense now."

"What?"

"I have a theory, but I haven't been able to test it."

"Why not?"

"You haven't been here."

"Hank I really don't want to have probes or some such shoved up my…"

"No, no! Just…come on a drive with me?"

Charles looked blankly up at Hank for a moment before standing, and stretching.

"Alright, so long as I don't have to drive. Raven! Keep an eye on Lily, ok?"

"Sure, Charles." She said not looking up.

"Mummy!" Lily said running up to Charles and grabbing his leg.

"I'm just going for a drive, Lily-bear." He said picking her up. "I'll be back to read you a bedtime story, right Hank?"

"Mm-hm." Hank said absently. Lily pouted a moment then hugged Charles and wiggled out of his arms.

"Alright. Let's go." He said throwing the car keys at Hank.


	12. Chapter 12

HIHI! Third chapter today! I am on a roll! well and i didn't get the computer for a couple days. but goody for all you! Ok Translation is: Trust me. Thankyouthankyou for all the wonderful reviews! Enjoy! 

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><p>"I'm gonna need you to keep in contact with her until we get to the point where she can't hear you anymore." Hank said as they drove down the winding back roads.<p>

"Huh?"

"Just tell me when you're the one talking to her not the other way around."

"Ok." Charles said leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. Hank drove them in silence for a few minutes.

"How's Erik?" He finally asked.

"The doctor's say he's not going to be coming out of his coma for a while, his body's been too damaged. Shaw was really hammering on him." Charles said.

"Will he be alright?"

"I don't know. The doctors say he'll be perfectly fine if he comes out of the coma, but…I just don't know."

"You know…Lily's missed you…a lot. She's always asking when you're going to be home and when Erik will be too."

"What do you tell her?"

"Same thing you did at the mansion. We tell her you'll be home to read her a bedtime story."

"And for Erik?" Charles said looking at Hank.

"I tell her that…He'll be home soon."

Charles leaned back in his seat again and looked out the window. They drove again in silence until…

"There! That's it, I can't feel her mind without using my powers." Charles said sitting up suddenly, as Hank pulled the car off to the side of the road. Both men got out of the car, Charles leaned against the side as Hank walked around to the passenger side back door. Inside was an EEG all ready to be hooked up.

"You're not getting anything off her?" Hank said placing the electrodes on his temples, neck, and forehead.

"Nope, nothing at all."

"Are you sure I can't shave…"

"Hank, if you mention shaving my head one more time, I swear I'll make you believe that you're Lily's two year-old sister." Charles said sitting still as Hank applied the last electrode.

"Y-yes, sir."

"How long will this take? I don't like being so far away."

"It won't take long. Now professor, I just want to say…this was _NOT_ my idea." Hank said as he pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"What wasn't…?"

"Tell her." He said into it.

Suddenly Hank and Charles hit the ground as their minds were filled with fear and pain. Dimly they heard a scream, echoing around their heads, as a terrible, terrible sadness overwhelmed their senses. Charles cracked his eyes open to see Lily, kneeling on the ground with her hands covering her face, weeping hysterically.

'_Lily.'_ Charles thought weakly, raising a hand towards her form, when she disappeared from view. The pain immediately receded and both mutants were able to sit up. Hank shook his head to clear it, stood up, and staggered to the EEG. He read Charles brainwaves, looking more and more excited.

"Good lord! I was right! Professor! Would you believe me if I told you what just happened was all your doing?" Hank exclaimed. Charles was silent as he searched, mentally, for Lily. He frowned after a moment and concentrated harder.

"Professor! Come look…Professor?" Hank asked hesitantly walking over to the sitting telepath.

"Hank…Where's Lily?" Charles said simply.

"R-Raven p-probably put the h-helmet on her. The o-one Erik had on when w-we got back from C-Cuba." Hank stuttered as Charles began to glare at him. "Uh…W-we figured out, th-that when a telepath wears it, their p-power is blocked from transmitting out."

"Hank." Chalres said dangerously as stood and pulled off the electrodes. "I'm going to ask you a simple question…and if I don't like the answer, you get to walk home. Got it?"

"But…"

"No buts! Now…What did you tell Lily?"

Hank stared at Charles before hanging his head in shame. Charles eyes widened and he looked even angrier then before.

"What…Did…You…Tell…Her?" He said through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't my idea, I swear! We tried it other ways with other people but it didn't work! So Alex and Sean said something about something and next thing _I_ know we're all…"

"I DON'T CARE!" Charles yelled before composing himself. "I just want to know what you told her!"

"W-we t-told h-her thatyouwerenevercomingback."

"Come again?"

"OK! OK! We told her you died! Please don't fry my brain!" Hank said cowering behind the car door. Charles looked at Hank with his mouth on the ground.

"You…told…her…WHAT?"

"It wasn't my idea!"

"You followed through with it! Do you even comprehend what you've just done! She's…you're…Oh my GOD! You put that…And then…" Charles sputtered in disbelief. Hank cowered on the ground, all his hair standing straight up.

"GET IN THE CAR!" Charles yelled in panic as he grabbed the keys from Hank.

"But I thought…"

"Do you WANT to walk?"

"N-no…"

"Then get in!"

Hank got in the passenger side, barely managing to close the door before Charles had them racing down the road. The silence in the car was deafening, Hank could feel the anger and disappointment rolling off Charles. He opened his mouth several times, but a glare from Charles silenced any apology or sound Hank would have made.

When they pulled up to the mansion, Charles leaped out of the car, leaving the keys and door open, leaving Hank to slowly trail after him.

"Where's Lily?" Charles said running into the library. The kids all parted to let him through to the couch. Lily was lying with her eyes closed on one end of the couch, curled around a growling and hissing Regina. Her head was dwarfed by the large metal helmet with tears pooling on the side.

"I ought to…How could you? How could you do this to her? For a stupid…experiment! Do you even know what this thing does to a telepath?" Charles asked as everyone shook their heads.

"It doesn't shut off her power, it just stops her from transmitting outward! So where do you think the ability goes? Inwards! I am _very_ disappointed in you…all of you!" Charles said not raising his voice or looking at any of them. None of them said a word and, one by one, they all filed out of the room. Charles sighed as he sat at the other end of the couch covering his face with a hand.

"We're all really sorry, sir." Angel said softly before closing the library doors. Charles reached over to gently remove the huge helmet from Lily's head and gathered her into his arms.

'_Mummy?'_ She thought._ 'Mummy!'_

Lily shot up in his arms and looked at him with wide eyes.

'_I'm here Lily…I'll always be here.'_ He thought back, staring deeply into her eyes. She simply grabbed him around the neck and sobbed with relief.

"So what did you find out?" Charles asked Hank after two days of not speaking to anyone but Lily. Who, along with Regina and Puella, had taken to following after him like little ducklings.

"Uh…"

"Don't tell me you haven't processed the data…"

"No, no! It's right…uh…have a seat." Hank said as he sifted through the piles and piles of papers and books. Charles sat in the only other clear chair. The whole room was a complete mess, papers and books everywhere.

"Here!" Hank said triumphantly as he handed a sheaf of papers to Charles, who set them aside and looked at him.

"O-ok, um…so…after, uh, you know…I was able to determine that she wasn't using her own abilities to project herself or her emotions to us." Hank began nervously. "What she basically was able to do was, connect, to your mind and Erik's and use both of your abilities to project her appearance and thought's into everyone's minds…"

"And Erik's to destroy the missiles. How extraordinary, a psychic link, and Azazel hearing Moira?"

"Lily wasn't able to control the link and Moira had a physical connection to her body, I guess the best way to describe it is, if someone is shouting at you and someone else comes up and whispers in your ear." Hank explained to a stone faced Charles.

"I see…she didn't control the power, just rode along with it." Charles said looking thoughtful a moment before he stood up. "Thank you, Hank. For all your help."

"I'll pack my things." Hank said hanging his head.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to throw us out?"

"Throw you…No! If you want to leave then you can but…I won't _force_ you to leave." Charles said looking at the young man bewildered.

"But you're so mad…"

"Yes, I am. Hank…Lily's not like the rest of you. You're all older, more mature…maybe, but I trust that if something were to happen to me or Erik…you'd be able to take care of yourselves. Lily's just a little girl, a child…she needs us as a family, as unconventional as we are, to take care of her, to protect her. We're all she's got, and if I can't trust you all to look after her…"

"Mummy?" Lily said from the open door. Holding a green blanket, Regina and Puella curled around her legs.

"Lily? I thought you were sleeping." Charles said picking her up.

"Mummy, be happy again." She said looking seriously into his eyes.

"Wha-…"

"Vati will be ok, faites-moi confiance, he's always ok. An' my sissies and brothers didn't mean to make me cry. They just want to help. So stop being so grouchy, 'k?"

Charles looked shocked for a moment then slowly smiled.

"Alright, if you say everything's going to be alright, then I guess it will be. Hank, tell Sean he can come down from the attic. And _you,_" He said rubbing noses with Lily. "Go find Alex in the woods, I know you know where he is."

"Hehe!" Lily laughed before running off with Puella, Regina staying in the doorway blinking slowly up at Charles.

"Professor? I really am sorry, we all are." Hank said sincerely.

"I know, Hank. I've just…"

"Been under a lot of stress. We know and we want to help, you're not alone in this, Charles."

Charles smiled at Hank before walking out of the room. Hank watched him go before running over to his closet and knocking on the door.

"It's ok to come out now, Raven. He's not mad anymore!"

"Really? Thank God!"


	13. Chapter 13

Ok! here it is: what has been happening to Erik in his coma? Will he wake up? Or will he die alone? only time will tell...I think this chapter has been my favorite and most hated cause i wanted to cry the entire time i wrote it...granted it was 2 in the morning but i think it still counts. LOVE the reviews people! and everyone who reads this! (imagine me blowing kisses to everyone) Please enjoy! (Florishing bow)

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><p><em>Pain swirling, whirling around<em>

_Pressure forcing him back_

_Purple eyes, blue eyes_

_Power_

_A feeling of falling, falling falling…_

"Erik!" yelled Mama as they dragged her away from him.

"Mama!" He screamed back pulling and pulling her towards him but only managing to pull the metal gate…

"Erik." Herr Doctor said calmly, standing over his broken bleeding body.

"Nien…Nien!" He cried weakly as the blade fell towards him once more….

"Erik. Don't." Said a soft voice, cutting him to the core.

"Who are you?" He asked abandoning his cause for the first time to turn and see a pair of beautiful blue eyes….

"Erik!" Charles said, anger filling his voice as he was pushed up against the bedpost.

"I won't abandon them." He said as he stared into those electric blue eyes that shone like stars no matter where they were…

_Swirling darkness_

_Pain, anger, relief_

_Sadness beyond anything he'd ever expected_

_Loss, hurt, tears_

_The saltiness and bitterness of despair_

_A bright light shining, shining, shining…_

"Safe." The small child thought to him.

"No." He thought back preparing to push her away.

"Yes." She replied firmly, latching onto his arm. He stared down at the girl, feeling that she was making a huge mistake but, somehow, not really minding…

_Hope, light, peace_

_Blue and purple swirling together_

_Brown threaded through with gold and black_

_Sweetness, caring, truth_

_Unspoken affection, understood Love…_

"Mummy! Vati!" Screamed his most precious jewel in fear and pain.

"No, miene Kleine…" He thought before slipping gently into oblivion, faintly hearing explosions…

_Pain, searing this time_

_Sadness, duller but just as poigent_

_Broken, I am too broken_

_I can't be fixed_

_It's too late_

**No!**

_Yes_

**No! I refuse to accept that**

_You can't fix what's been shattered_

**No you can't**

_Told you so_

**But you can remake it into something new…**

"Rage and serenity, my friend." Said the man with beauty in his eyes.

"What do you know about rage?" He asked angrily.

"What do you care of serenity?" The wise fool retorted…

_Fear_

_What's Happening?_

_Why am I here?_

_Where am I?_

_When am I?_

…

_Who am I?_

**Ah, that's the question…isn't it?…**

"Higher! Higher!" She thought as she laughed at the tickling sensation in her stomache.

"Erik! What are you doing!" Moira said running outside to see Lily being bounced high in the air wearing some kind of metal harness.

"She's completely safe, don't worry." He said closely following her with his eyes and arm movement.

"What would Charles say?"

"He'd say…Me next!" Charles yelled buckling himself into a harness and jumping off the roof.

_Light, bright light_

_Who am I?_

**Who are you?**

_Why do you care?_

**I have always cared…**

"AHHH…!

"Wha-What! Lily?" He said bursting out of a sound sleep.

'_Vati.' _She whispered, full of fear. He ran out of his room and down the hall, nearly ripping Lily's door off it's hinges.

"Kleine! Was ist falsch?"

'_Monsters, Vati.' _She said hiding under the covers. _'Monsters in der Dunkelhiet.' _

He sighed and gathered her up, covers and all, and walked a little further down the hall.

"Charles." He whispered knocking gently on the door.

'_What's wrong?'_

'_Lily's scared of the dark.'_

'_The doors unlocked.'_

He opened the door and approached the large bed, Lily hugging him tightly around the neck.

"Well? Get in." Charles said as he moved over to make room. Erik slid into the large bed and tried to get Lily to let go of him.

'_She's still scared' _Charles thought.

'_I don't blame her.' _

"Erik she's a telepath, she's not afraid of you…she's afraid of your thoughts." Charles said turning over to look at him.

"And what do you propose I do about that?"

"I don't know…think of something happy?" Charles responded sarcastically. Erik searched his mind for a moment before focusing on how he was feeling at that moment. Calm…relaxed…not afraid…Lily slowly relaxed in his arms as she fell back asleep. Erik smiled as he drifted off, courtesy of Charles, into a deep dreamless sleep…

**Who are you?**

_Erik Lensherr_

**Who are you?**

_A mutant_

**Who are you?**

_I don't know anymore…_

Heat and passion, his tongue everywhere at once…licking and exploring, his mouth kissed Erik's body and bit down playfully before moving on. Erik sucked in a breath only to have it stolen away by Charles eyes…his big beautiful blue eyes that were currently looking at him in amusment.

"What?" Erik gasped.

"Your eyes…they have flecks of gold in them."

"You're thinking about that _now_?"

"You were thinking of mine first." The sinfully smiling man said before resuming his delightful torments…

**Who do you blame?**

_The humans_

**Why?**

_They would kill us all._

**Perhaps…What will you do about it?**

_Defend_

**Defend? Defend who?**

_Charles_

**Yes, he could be defended…but who do you really want to protect? Why did you really kill Shaw?**

…

**No answer?**

…

**Remember I know everything about you…all your secrets…all you lies…all your truths**

…

**Still no answer?**

…

**Oh well…no sense in being stupid. I figured it was a lost cause**

_For Lily_

**Ah…and so we come to it at last…Lily**

_Who are you?_

**Who do you think I am?**

_God_

**Ha! Please! Don't flatter yourself, you know **_**he's**_** never going talk to **_**you**_

_Charles?_

**He'd never make that crack about God, now would he? Come on, you know who I am**

…_Are you me?_

**Dingdingding! We have a winner! You've been alone for a very long time, Erik Lensherr**

_I like being alone…no one can hurt you then_

**Oh please, ever since that blue-eyed telepath came into our life you haven't been alone. And especially the little purple-eyed angel…**

_Stop it_

**Oooo…do I detect some anger?**

_Leave her out of this_

**But I can't or rather…we can't**

_Go away!_

**Sorry you're stuck with me! **

_Then shut up!_

**No**

_Why NOT!_

**You're so stubborn. Purple angel is so worried about you and you don't care. You love blue-eyes and you **_**still haven't told him**_**! I think you just don't care about anything anymore.**

_So?_

**Are you just going to give up and let youself die without anything to your name but pain and murder?**

_Fine…By…Me_

**Then perhaps we need to dig alittle deeper…**

"Guten Abend, Gute Nacht Von Englien bewacht…" A kind gentle voice sang softly. Erik raised his head to look at his Mama through the crack in his door. She sat near the fireplace in the living room, bent over a piece of sewing-work in her lap. She raised her head, eyes making contact with his before putting a finger to her lips and creeping silently over to his room. She opened the door all the way and knelt down beside his bed, placing her face inches from his.

"Nicht Schläfrig mien Sohn? Ihre Schwester ist alles aus Spielen in den Fluss Müde." She whispered to Erik. _Not sleepy my son? Your sister is all tired out from playing in the river._

"Mama warum vögel fliegen?" _Mama why do birds fly?_

"Wenn ich die Frage zubeantworten wirst du schlafen?" She asked with a smile. _If I answer the question will you sleep?_

"Ja, Mama."

"Auch, vögel fliegen in den Himmel, wiel sie näher an die Sterne will." She said softly brushing his hair away from his eyes. _Well, birds fly in the sky because they want to be closer to the stars._

"Das ist wahr für alle Dinge die fliegen können?" Erik asked as his Mama smiled indulgently. _Is that true for all things that fly?_

"Ja, miene Sohn. Jetzt schlafen gehn." She said kissing his forehead before standing to leave. _Yes my son. Now go to sleep._

"Mama?"

"Ja, Erik?"

"Ich Liebe Dich." _I love you._

"Und ich, du, für immer und ewig, mien Sohn." _And I, you, forever and always. _

**Purple Angel had a nightmare and you sang that song to her**

_Leave me alone…Please_

**I'm sorry…I didn't mean to make you cry**

_Yes you did_

**I know…**

_Leave me alone_

**(sigh)…I think I will. One last thing…you can die alone…or wake up and have a family. It's your choice…it's always been your choice.**

_W-wait! Don't go! I…I don't want to be alone…PLEASE! Come back!_

**Wake up Erik…Just wake up…..**

Erik slowly came to consciousness, his head felt like a thousand elephants had tap danced across his skull and then sat on the rest of his body for kicks and grins. Gradually, he realized someone was holding onto his hand, sobbing over it like it was the last thing on Earth that mattered.

"Wake up, Erik, wake up! Please…wake up. Lily's waiting at home for you to come back, she hasn't stopped asking about you since we went home. All the kids are there, even Angel! Please Erik just open your eyes! I love you too damn much to let you die." Charles cried pressing his forehead to Erik's hand.

"C-Charles?" Erik whispered weakly. Charles head shot up in the air, his eyes swimming with tears, as Erik looked at him blearily.

"Erik?" He said reaching out to touch his face.

"Hi." Erik said.

Charles smiled, as fresh tears ran down his already drenched face, and leaned gently over to softly kiss his tormented lover.


	14. Chapter 14

Hi! This came out of watching X-Men:Origins, this is right after he leaves Sabertooth and before that six year period where he lives a "normal" life in Canada. so basically he hasn't lost his memory, and he hasn't gotten his metal claws yet. Absolutely LOVE the reviews, please continue! and All you readers THANKYOU for reading! as always, Enjoy! oh and before i forget! Translations are as follows: Don't Lie. and: There's a strange man in the kitchen! 

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><p>"Hmmmhmhm…"Lily hummed to herself as she flounced around the woods behind the house. Raven had told her not to wander to far away from Alex and Hank because Mummy wasn't there to help find her if she got lost.<p>

'_But…'_ She thought to herself as she rounded the last tree. _'I can still call them with my super powers.' _

"La la lalala!" She sang as she picked wildflowers from her favorite patch. When she determined she had enough, Lily ran for the small river nearby her flower patch.

"Water, water everywhere!" She said as she jumped high and far to a wide flat rock in the middle of the rushing water. She sat down like a lady, just like Mummy had taught her to do when she wore a dress, and started throwing flowers into the current. Suddenly a twig snaped behind her and she turned to see what was there.

A tall animal-looking man with a cigar in his mouth and a pack on his shoulder, watched her from the bank . Lily stood up slowly and tried to look grown up.

"Who are you?" She asked shakily.

"Who're you?" He asked in a rough voice.

"Mummy told me never to talk to strangers." She replied tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Wise woman." The man said dragging on his cigar.

"Hehe." Lily giggled.

"What?"

"My Mummy's not a girl!"

The man looked her up and down in slight confusion. Lily, not understanding, twirled around modeling her purple, blue, and white dress for the stranger.

"Do you like it? Vati got it for me before…"

"Before?"

"He went to sleep." Lily whispered.

"Sleep? Is he dead?"

"No!" Lily said covering her ears. "No, nononononoNO!"

The man's cigar fell out of his mouth in surprise as Lily raised slightly in the air along with the rock and flowers.

"Alright, alright! Is he…in a coma?" The man asked eyes wide. Lily uncovered her ears and snuck a peek up at him, nodding.

"Ok…just…calm down."

"What's your name?" She asked plucking the flowers out of the air, as she lowered herself and the rock.

"What's yours?"

"I asked first." She said impishly.

"Logan."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are! I can hear it in your mind!"

"Hey! Didn't your parents teach you to keep you powers to yourself?" Logan said backing away from the small girl.

"Yes, I'm sorry." She said hanging her head and pouting. Logan looked at her a moment before setting his bag on the ground and sitting on the edge of the bank. Lily smiled timidly up at him and levitated a flower over to him.

"So, what's the name kid?" He asked twirling the flower between his fingers.

"Lily." She replied, going back to throwing her flowers in the river.

"Aren't you afraid of me, Lily?" Logan asked curiously.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You have the same look in your eyes that Vati has." She said simply.

"What's that?" Logan asked.

"That…you've done really bad things…but you're really really sorry." She said laughing at one of the flowers swishing in the river.

"Yeah, you could say that." He said looking at his flower.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked suddenly, looking at him curiously.

"North…to Canada. I'm tried of war." He said with a long sigh.

"I guess I understand." She said throwing the rest of the flowers and standing up. "Not really though."

"I want a little peace."

"Vati says peace isn't an option."

"Oh really? What do you think?"

"I think…" Lily said furrowing her brow in thought. "That peace is where Mummy and Vati can go outside and not be afraid to hold hands because other people'll yell mean things at them. And, Raven and Hank can go outside, without hiding, and not have things thrown at them. Peace should be more then a cease-fire."

"That's pretty sophisticated for a…how old are you kid?"

"Three." She said holding out her fingers.

"Three?"

"Hank and Mummy read me stuff, sometimes it's boring, but other times I like to listen. Why are you here?" She asked gauging the distance between the rock and the bank.

"I was hoping to find…well a big mansion. Um…A couple months ago I met this british guy and…he told me if I ever needed help, he'd have a place for me." He replied slightly embarrassed. "I wasn't very nice to him when we met…so I don't know about the invite."

"I'm not allowed to bring strangers to the house but…Catch me!" She shouted jumping back across the open water. Logan leaped over and caught her right before she splated on the ground.

"Kid! Be careful!"

"I knew you'd catch me. Are you a mutant?"

"Why?" Logan asked, his guard up immediately.

"Vati and Mummy say I can try to help mutants, but to stay away from humans. Are you a mutant?" Lily asked looking up at him innocently.

He stared at the girl a moment before pushing his bone claws out of his knuckles and holding out his hands.

"Groovy!" She said touching his claws in fascination. "Come on!"

Lily grabbed his hand and started dragging him off toward the house.

"W-wait! Are you home alone?" Logan asked walking behind the small child

"No! I'm three! Raven, Hank, Sean, Alex and Angel are home too!"

"Look, kid, all I really need is directions to the nearest train station…"

"Lügen nicht! You're hungry too! I can tell! Alex! Hank! I found another mutant!" She called out as the house can into view. Hank and Alex were out on the lawn playing a very dangerous form of catch using their powers.

"Lily! What have we told you about talking to strangers!" Alex said grabbing her away from Logan.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Hank asked threateningly, stepping in front of Alex and Lily.

"I just want to know where the train station is around here." Logan asked slowly raising his hands.

"He's hungry too! Come on Hank! Let him come in and have a snack!" Lily piped up from Alex's protective embrace.

"Lily, hush!" Hank said glaring at Logan.

"Please? Alex, don't Mummy and Vati always tell us to help other people?"

"Dad told us to only help mutants if he or Mom isn't home." Alex siad quietly to Lily.

"He _is _a mutant! He's got claws! Show 'em, Logan!" She said imploringly. Logan slowly unsheathed his claws as Hank and Alex visibly relaxed. Hank stepped foreward and extended his hand to the other man.

"Sorry about that, we're all a little on edge."

"I understand…Something about someone in a coma?" Logan said shaking Hank's hand then Alex's. Hank nodded as they all walked across the lawn to the huge mansion.

"One of our leaders was beaten up, pretty badly, in Cuba." Alex said opening the door leading them into the kitchen.

"Wait, wait, wait…that was you?" Logan said looking at them in surprise.

"I thought all that got released was that Russia was the one who turned away from the confrontation." Hank said pulling out sandwich fixing's and soda from the fridge as Alex put Lily up on the counter.

"That was the official report, yeah. I had…better contacts. I heard something about a levitating submarine, a flying red-head, and a blue fuzz ball." Logan said raising an eyebrow at Hank.

"Yes, well, we all don't hide our abilities so well." Hank said narrowing his eyes. Lily put a small hand on Hank's arm before smiling at Logan.

"Be nice, Hank. He doesn't want trouble." She said.

"Oh, I'll give him trouble…" He grumbled walking out of the kitchen in a huff. Alex shook his head as he placed a plate with two sandwiches, some pudding, and a soda in front of Logan.

"No beer?" Logan said digging in with gusto.

"There's hard liquor somewhere, but Mom'll flay my mind if I take any of it again." Alex said handing Lily a dish of pudding with a small spoon, before getting some himself.

"Mom? No relation to Mummy?"

"Oh, sorry! Professor Xavier, it's his house."

"Xavier? Charles Xavier?" Logan asked pausing for a moment.

"Yeah, did he come see you?"

"Yeah…I wasn't interested."

"And now?"

"Nope…still not interested."

"Figured. When you're done with your pudding, Lily, don't forget to put the dish in the sink." Alex said as he put his in the sink and left the room, leaving Lily alone with Logan.

"They trust me alone with you?" Logan said taking a long swing of soda.

"No, they trust _me_ alone with _you_." Lily said through a mouthful of pudding.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. And, no offense, but you're not all that dangerous, Squirt."

Lily frowned at an oblivious Logan and ate another bite of pudding, as the sharp knives rattled in the choping block.

Alex walked out to the front door, joining Hank, Raven, and Sean as Charles pulled up to the house in his car.

"How is he?" Raven asked as Charles got out and leaned against the car, head hanging low.

"Well…"Charles began. "The doctors said they did everything they could and that only time will tell if he'll wake up."

They all bent their heads in sadness, Raven started crying and Hank pulled her into an embrace.

"But…" Charles said raising his head to reveal a wide smile and twinkling eyes. "Two hours later…"

"No!" Raven said eyes going wide.

"Yes! He woke up!"

"Charles, I could kill you!" Raven yelled as they all ran over to him, taking turns hugging him and each other.

"Say, where are Lily and Angel?" Charles asked after they all calmed down a bit. Suddenly Angel ran out the front door screaming in Spanish.

"Hay un hombre extraño en la cocina!" She yelled running over to the group.

"Hold on, slow down!" Charles said concerned.

"Speak English!" Sean said, earning him a group glare. "What? None of us speak Spanish!"

"What's wrong Angel?" Raven asked.

"There's…a…_man_…in the kitchen." She said hunched over for breath.

"Oh, right! Professor, Lily found a mutant wandering around the property. He was looking for a train station and Lily, Hank, and I invited him in to get something to eat before going off." Alex said in a rush. Charles looked delighted and started walking toward the house.

"Lily invited him in?" Angel asked. "Sure as hell didn't look like that to me."

"What do you mean?" Hank asked confused as they all slowly walked back into the house.

"LILY! NO!" Charles voice echoed down the hall. They all sprinted to the kitchen, visions of Lily lying in a pool of blood with Logan laughing maniacally, dancing in their heads. They burst through the door and skidded to a stop before the scene in front of them. Sean and Alex burst out laughing as Raven and Angel giggled to each other. Hank simply watched with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

Logan was crouched behind the island counter, splattered with pudding, as Lily threatened him with her loaded spoon. Charles was talking sternly to her as Logan nodded vigorously behind him.

"Lily, we don't invite people in and then threaten them with spoons and pudding." He said holding out his hand for the spoon.

"He called me Squirt!" Lily squeeked pulling her arm back for another shot. Charles placed himself between Lily and her intended target, and spread his arms wide.

"If you hit him, you'll have to hit me too." He said gravely. Lily looke at him a moment then let her arm fly. The pudding hit Charles square in the face. Lily squeeked once and ran out of the room. Everyone went silent as Charles wiped the pudding from his face.

"Alex?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Where's the pudding?"

"There's a big bowel of it in the refrigorator." Alex said pointing. Charles went over, got the bowel, and picked up a large wooden spoon before stopping in front of Logan.

"I'm really sorry about this, you can take a shower if you'd like, Raven'll show you where. I would but I have to go throw pudding at my daughter. It's really nice to see you again, if you ever reconsider joining us, please, don't hesitate to return." He said smiling widely. "Hank can give you directions to the train station or, if you wait a bit, I can give you a ride when we go see Erik."

Logan nodded speechlessly before Charles uttered a war cry and ran from the room in pursuit of Lily.

"Vati?" Logan asked shakily, pointing after him.

"Nope, Mummy." Sean said happily, grabbing more pudding mix. "Dad's even crazier…Wanna make more pudding?"


	15. Chapter 15

Hi! Another chapter! A tinsy tiny bit of slash if squint and wish really really hard. Love all the reviews! Cyber Cookies and love to all of you and the readers! You're all amazing! Translations are: My little one. I missed you. I missed you more. I missed you most. (Yes I took it from Tangled! No i do not own it!) And, as always, Enjoy! 

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><p>The day after Erik woke up, the hospital sent a notification to Charles, saying that despite the generous contribution to their establishment, he was going to have to find somewhere else to take the tempermental man. And, after hearing about the three nurses and two doctors Erik had sent to the E.R., Charles agreed with them. He placed several calls, eventually got Moira involved, but, in the end, placed Erik in a out-paitent program that required a nurse to check on him once a week and a doctor's visit once a month.<p>

"I still don't understand why I can't just walk out of here, Charles." Erik asked as he sat on the edge of his bed, staring villainously at the wheelchair Charles was currently occupying, legs thrown over the armrest.

"Try to stand up." Charles said simply. Erik smirked a bit and pushed himself off the bed. He managed to stay upright a good three seconds before sitting heavily back down.

"And that's why, my friend." Charles said swinging his legs around to sit properly in the chair. "It's ok, you've just woken up from a coma. You're actually quite miraculous, usually people wouldn't be up and talking after how long you've been out. In fact, have you even slept since you woke up?"

"No, I slept for an entire week. I think I'm good." Erik said.

"Uh-huh…do you remember that man we met at that army base a few months ago?" Charles asked changing the subject.

"Yeah…the one who told us to go fuck ourselves?"

"Yeah him…Lily found him wandering around our backyard yesterday."

"Is that why you didn't come back?" Erik asked with a hint of jelousy in his voice.

Charles smiled a little before shaking his head.

"No, Lily decided to start a pudding war with half-oh who am I kidding? We all plastered the house and ourselves with pudding. I found pudding in places I didn't know existed." Charles said as Erik smiled for the first time since Charles had gotten to the hospital.

"Well, that explains the chocolate in your hairline. What happened to the guy?"

"I dropped him off at the train station before we came here…he was quite glad to be gone to tell you the truth. I think we scared him. He said he wanted to live in peace for a while."

"Peace is an illusion." Erik said automatically.

"Perhaps."

A nurse walked into the room and cleared her throat, causing Charles to turn and smile at her.

"Ah! Nurse Kingsley…I was wondering when I'd meet you. Erik couldn't wait to tell me all about the conversation you had last night." He said standing to shake her hand.

"Yes, well, I am sorry …but this is hospital policy." She said taking Charles offered hand before pulling a syringe from her pocket. "It's just a small pox/polio vaccination and something to help your immue system so you don't get sick as soon as you leave."

"I don't need it." Erik growled at her.

"We can't let you leave otherwise." She said looking him straight in the eye. The syringe shuddered dangerously in her hand as Charles sat down next to him and took his hand.

"Just let her do it, ok? She's not going to hurt you." He said soothingly. Erik gritted his teeth and held out his arm for her. She rolled up his sleeve and gently swabbed the area with an alcohol wipe before injecting him. He simply stared straight ahead, not moving a muscle, Charles could see the tick in his jaw increase as Erik squeezed his hand. Charles projected soothing images of Lily sleeping into his mind, thankfully Nurse Kingsley was finished quickly and she was about to leave the room before turning back.

"Mr. Xavier? Could I have a word?" She asked. Charles squeezed Erik's hand before walking out into the hall with her.

"Mr. Xavier, as you know I spoke with Mr. Lensherr yesterday…" She began.

"And I thank you for that. I'm sorry I wasn't able to be here…we had a bit of trouble back at the house." Charles interrupted.

"Yes, well, I just needed to ask…is Mr. Lensherr a survivor of the Holocaust?"

"Ye-es…why?" Charles asked his face carefully guarded.

"No reason." She said a little to quickly.

"You all have a bet going on don't you? Why he hates hospitals, correct?"

"How, did you…?"

"Intuition." He said with a bitter smile as he brushed his hand through his hair. "Well? Do you?"

"Yes…but I'm not…"

"Don't lie, Ms. Kingsley. I can tell."

Nurse Kingsley looked him in the eye but finally nodded and stared at the floor. Charles sighed and looked back at the door to Erik's room with sadness.

"I'll tell you one thing…he doesn't like hospitals because for him, and countless others, a hospital was place you went, not to get well, but to die." Charles said as the nurse continued to stare at the floor. He turned to go back into the room but she grabbed his arm at the last minute.

"Wait…he was talking to me last night about someone he called blaue Augen. My German's a little non-existant but I looked it up, it means blue eyes. He was talking about them like…well like he loved them. I just wanted to know…who is she? Did she…hold on…you…have…blue…oh." She said as she let go of his arm. Charles looked at her cooly before straightening his jacket.

"Is there a problem?" He asked icily.

"N-no. I just…he loves them very much…I guess is what I wanted to say." She said taking a step back from Charles.

"If there's nothing else…"

"No, nothing."

"We'll be on our way then." He said inclining his head slightly towards her as he went back into the room. Nurse Kingsley stared after him a moment before walking to the nurses station.

"What was that all about?" Erik asked as Charles helped him into the wheelchair.

"Nothing. Just some last minute instructions on how to take care of your hard-ass." Charles said lightly.

"Better then your skinny one." Erik retorted shifting in his seat as Charles rolled him down the hall.

"I haven't heard you complain about it before."

Erik smirked as the elevator doors opened and took them down to the lobby.

"I'll be glad to go home." He said. "Sleep in my own bed."

"You mean my bed?" Charles replied with a laugh as he pushed Erik out of the elevator toward the lobby waiting area.

"Since you so graciously offered, yes."

The kids were all waiting for them in a sitting area for families. Raven and Angel were sitting on a couch together, talking, while Hank sat reading a medical journal. Sean and Alex were a little ways off, holding each of Lily's hands, as they talked to two extremely cute girls.

"I see we still have to hide." Erik said taking in Raven's blondeness and Hank's trench coat.

"Yes, but remember my friend, Rome wasn't built in a day."

"It did burn in a night."

Lily was the first to spot them coming across the floor. Her eyes lit up and she started pulling on Sean and Alex's hands. They smiled and looked up as they let go of her hands. She ran past Raven and Angel who looked up in surprise as Hank rolled up his paper to stand up.

"VATI!" Lily shouted throwing herself into Erik's lap.

"Miene Kliene." He said hugging her close. "Ich habe dich vermisst."

"Ich habe dich vermisst mehr."

"Ich habe dich vermisst meisten."

"Hey, Dad! Lookin' good." Alex said walking over with Sean.

'_Dad?' _Erik thought to Charles, who simply smiled and shrugged.

"Yeah you can hardly tell you got your ass-whooped." Sean said getting a glare from Charles. Erik surprised them all by laughing loudly and smiling frighteningly at Sean.

"I guess I did get my ass-whooped. But I got the last laugh. That's all that matters." He said dangerously.

"Here! These are for you!" Raven said as Lily climbed down from Erik's lap.

Everyone put a present or card onto his lap and into his hands. And, before he could protest, Raven and Angel tied balloons onto his armrests.

"Wha-…?"

"Open mine first!" Sean said excitedly.

"No mine!" Alex persuaded.

"Boys, boys!" Charles said pushing Erik towards the exit. "He'll have plenty of time to open them all at home. Now come!"

"He doesn't need to tell Dad twice." Sean whispered to Alex.

"Sean! Alex!" Charles said sharply.

"Coming, professor!"

"What did I do?" Alex whined.

"Come on!" Raven said arm in arm with Angel and Hank. Alex grumbled a bit before Lily grabbed his hand and dragged him off towards the car.

Later in the evening, after all the presents had been opened and the 'Welcome Home' cake had been sliced, Erik sat on his bed with his back to the slightly open door.

"Shit!" A voice whispered from the hall. Erik whipped around and the slammed shut with a WHACK!, as it hit the person directly behind it. Sean sat rubbing his head gingerly before standing up.

"What did we learn?" Raven asked back in her blue form.

"Have you _seen_ his brusies?" Sean asked walking over to her room.

"No, and you shouldn't pry. Charles _will_ find out and Erik'll just murder you in your sleep." She said with a smile as Sean's eyes widened at the, obviously ignored, prospect.

"NO!" Shrieked a half-naked Lily as she ran past the two older mutants.

"Excuse me a moment. LILY! Get back here! You have to take a bath!" Raven yelled out sprinting past Sean with a large towel in hand. "Charles she's headed towards you!"

Sean shook his head for a moment and thought, _'At least everything's back to normal.'_, before heading down to the kitchen to get some pudding.


	16. Chapter 16

HI! New chapter! just some cuteness and a little Charles and Raven sibling stuff. I ADORE everyone who reads this and those who review! You're all amazing! No translations this time. Enjoy!

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><p>CRRRR-AAAACK! BOOM! Lighting flashed as rain whipped against the library window, harshly demanding entrance, but being refused. Erik stood, looking darkly out over the soaked front lawn, his hands folded over a cane. A present from the children, after two weeks of intense physical therapy resulted in him being able to walk a few feet unaided.<p>

"I don't know Charles. This idea of yours is…"

"Premature? I know, I know but just think about it! Kids coming from all over the world! Learning how to control their powers and getting a good education at the same time. Just think of it!" Charles said walking over to the table with a chess set and scotch bottle. Erik turned to smile at the man and limped over to join him.

"I am thinking about it and it sounds wonderful. A safe haven for mutants, where we don't have to be afraid of anything. But how can we? We don't even have Cerebro anymore." He asked, grabbing a couple glasses before sitting slowly down in a winged chair. Charles poured the drinks and made Erik comfortable before sitting across from his friend.

"We have the next best thing to it, my friend." Charles said moving his pawn to open play. "We have the man who designed it."

Erik smiled and shook his head as he tapped his glass against Charles's before moving his pawn forward. Suddenly the door banged open as Sean sprinted in and skidded to a stop in front of the two men.

"Sean? Is something wrong?" Charles asked concerned.

"It's…Alex and…Lily…" Sean panted.

"What's wrong?" Erik said putting down his glass and standing up.

"I…I don't know…Alex just started puking and Lily's laying in her bed sweating and crying. She won't let anyone touch her." He said grabbing Erik's arm, pulling him to the door. Charles dropped his glass to the floor and ran out of the library closely followed by a hobbling Erik and worried Sean.

"Erik!" Charles said pointing to an open bathroom door.

"I've got it. You go see Lily." He said limping up the last few stairs.

"Ugh." Alex groaned kneeling on the floor next to the toilet. "I feel awful."

"Did you eat something? What happened?" Erik asked walking over to the pale youth.

"I…umph…don't know. I felt…ugh…fine, then…" Alex didn't get to finish as he quickly bent over the toilet, throwing up everything in his system…again.

"I _hate_ throwing up!" He said when he resurfaced, looking paler then before, tears leaking out of his eyes. Erik slowly knelt down to Alex's level and took his scared face in his hands and brushed away the tears. He could feel the heat radiating unhealthily from the boy's body.

"First off, you're not dying, Alex so calm down." Erik began soothingly. "Second, do you think you can leave the bathroom?"

"I don't know." Alex said looking up at the older man, his lower lip trembling.

"Come on now. Where's Havoc? The mutant who stared down American guns and fought against Shaw's forces to save humanity from utter destruction?" Erik said with a smile.

"He's not answering right now. It's just Alex and he's scared." Alex replied grabbing him around the middle and pressing his face into Erik's shoulder. Erik looked surprised a moment before hesitantly hugging the boy back.

"Umph." Alex said into his shoulder.

"You have to puke again?"

"Mm-hmm…Ugh!"

Alex pushed Erik away quickly and bent over the toilet again. Erik brushed Alex's hair away from his neck, and noticed numerous red dots all over it. He pulled up Alex's shirt to reveal more red dots extending down his back and arms.

"Alex?"

"Ugnh."

"Do your muscles and/or your head hurt?"

"Everything hurts, Dad!" Alex said weakly falling back, away from the toilet.

"Erik!" Charles called.

"Hold on! Sean help Alex back to his room when he's done. If he doesn't want to move, bring him a blanket and pillow until Charles or I come back, ok?" Erik said standing with the help of his cane. Sean nodded and moved to take his place next to Alex as Erik limped to Lily's room. Raven, Hank, and Angel were grouped around her door peeking inside.

"Is she going to be ok?" Angel asked as Erik walked by them.

"I think so…Hank go down and get some ice packs from the freezer, Angel get some blankets from the closet and Raven…"

Suddenly the lights went out all over the house. An unholy screech issued from Lily's room accompanied by Charles yelling, "ERIK!"

"Raven find some flashlights and candles!" He finished hurrying into the room. Charles was sitting next to Lily's bed twisting on a small flashlight, illuminating the room slightly.

"Where did you get that?" Erik asked as he moved towards the bed. Charles pulled out a small emergency kit from underneath Lily's bed.

"I figured it would be a good idea to put one in here after she nearly fryed all the circuts in the house trying to turn the lights back on when Hank drained the generators two weeks ago." Charles said handing the light to Erik as he pulled a chair over. Lightning flashed, illuminating Lily's sweat soaked body. Her face was flushed and pale, hair slicked back from sweat, as she sliently cried in her distress.

"If you keep crying, Lily, your headache will only get worse." Erik said softly as he placed a hand on her forehead. He handed the flashlight back to Charles and rolled up her nightgown to look at her torso. Red dots were splattered intermittently all over her chest and stomache.

"Thought so." Erik said looking at Charles in slight relief. "It's chicken pox. They both have it."

"Thank God, I thought…"

"The worst, it comes with being Mummy." Erik said teasingly as he gently replaced Lily's night gown before smoothing her hair back and wiping away her tears. She stared up at him, eyes glazed over with fever and pain. Hank walked into the room with several ice packs, a couple blankets, and a larger flashlight.

"Mo-Professor, Alex wants you. He's in his room." He said handing the items to Erik. Charles put a hand to Lily's flushed face for a moment before leaving the room with the small flashlight. Hank helped to wrap Lily in a blanket before placing a few ice packs around her small frame.

"Will she and Alex be ok?" He asked after Erik settled back into his chair.

"Once their fevers break they'll be ok."

"You're sure it's chicken pox and not small pox?" Hank asked nervously.

"I know the difference. I've seen what small pox can do and…when I was younger…I helped my mother take care of my little sister when she she had chicken pox." Erik replied quietly placing the large flashlight on the nightstand letting it illuminate the whole room.

"Meow!" Puella said rubbing herself all over Erik's leg and pawing at him to pick her up.

"Come here you." He said pulling her onto his lap, where she settled in to watch her human through the night.

"Hank you should go to bed. We can't do anything now but wait." He said after a moment.

"Alright. If you need me, just call. Da-Erik" He said before leaving Erik to his sleepless vigil.

"Alex?" Charles asked walking into his room. "How are you feeling?"

"Ugh…I hurt everywhere." He said poking his head out from under the covers with such a long suffering face that Charles couldn't help but to laugh.

"Alex, first off, _you aren't dying_. It's chicken pox, you're going to live." He said to the younger mutant.

"It doesn't feel like it." Alex croaked.

"Trust me…or rather, trust Erik." Charles replied putting a hand to Alex's hot forehead. Lightning flashed as thunder rumbled, shaking the whole house.

"Too loud." Alex mumbled mushing his face into the pillow. Charles smiled a little as he tucked the sheets around the young man's body.

"Try to get some sleep, ok?" He said turning to leave.

"Will you stay with me?" Alex asked in a small voice not looking at Charles. He nodded and sat down next to the bed.

"You must think I'm being stupid." Alex said sleepily.

"No, not at all." Charles whispered gently as Alex breathed deeply and fell into a fitful sleep. Raven walked in, blonde, with another flashlight and placed it on the bedside table. She handed a couple ice packs to Charles, wordlessly, and turned to leave the room, when his voice stopped her.

"Wait, Raven. We haven't really had time to talk since before Cuba, have we?" He said as turned to look at him.

"What do you want me to say?" She deadpanned to him.

"Nothing, I want you to listen and then tell me off if you want to, ok?"

She said nothing but moved to the other chair in the room and sat down. Charles took a deep breath and began to speak, "Raven, I really could care less what form you want to take. If you want to be blonde, then be blonde. If you want to be blue, then be blue. I would rather you be comfortable as you instead of forcing yourself to be something you're not. The only reason I insist you hide in public is because I don't want you to get hurt by someone who is afraid of you. You're my sister and I just…I got carried away and forgot to tell you two of the most important things…I love you and I think you're beautiful no matter what form you are in. And…if you don't want to wear clothes then…I guess you don't have to."

Raven looked at her brother a moment before covering her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking. Charles hurried over and knelt at her feet.

"Raven, I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry." He said trying to pull her hands away from her face. She abruptly dropped her hands and looked down at him with a wide smile on her face.

"Charles, you have no idea how long I've wanted you to say that." She said shifting into her natural blueness as she wiped away her tears.

"You're not mad?" He asked.

"Mad? I'm furious! You might be a telepath and a genius, but your timing's for shit. What if we'd died in Cuba? Or I had decided to leave you? Or, what if I had been you in the hospital, not Erik? Or both!"

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, it's good to know that even the great Professor X is only human. I love you Charles, you're my best friend and brother. I wouldn't take you any other way." She said hugging him tightly. "I'm going to bed, ok? Erik says Lily's somewhat sleeping and if there isn't anything else…"

"No, nothing else. I'll see you in the morning. And Raven?" He said standing with her as she moved to leave the room.

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

Erik and Charles switched off between the two sick rooms all night until finally, a bit before dawn, both kids fevers and the storm broke. Later in the morning, after all the kids had woken up, they trooped over to Alex's room to check on him. Alex was sitting on top of all his covers scratching his arms and back for all he was worth.

"Thank God! Someone come and help me, I can't reach this one spot on my back and it's killing me!" He pleaded.

"Where's mom and dad?" Sean asked looking around the room.

"If I tell you, will you scratch my back?"

"Sure."

"Lily's room. Now help!…Wait! Don't leave me! I hate you all!" Alex shouted as they all disappeared across the hall.

"Mom? Dad? Is Lily…Oh." Sean said cracking the door and looking into the room. Lily was sleeping peacefully with Regina and Puella cuddled next to her. Charles was cuddled in Erik's lap, both men passed out in a chair next to Lily's bed.

"Well?" Raven asked as Sean softly closed the door again.

"She's fine…Let 'em sleep."


	17. Chapter 17

HELLO! It's me again! another chapter, another story. LOVE the reviews and everyone who reads this! THANKYOU'S ALL AROUND! uh...be warned this chapter has...well...girl stuff in it and Erik figuring out how to manage sick people and rambucious teenagers. No translations...anything else? ah yes! Enjoy!

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><p>"Charles are you done in there?" Erik asked, a couple days later, knocking on the bathroom door. "You've been in there for almost two hours."<p>

"I'll be right out." Came the high pitched reply.

"You said that…Half an hour ago." He said checking his watch.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Charles…" Erik said rolling his eyes. Finally the lock clicked and the small man opened the door.

"We might have a problem." Charles said as Erik's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"What do you mean he's sick?" Raven asked when Erik appeared in the kitchen without Charles.

"I mean he's sick. Pass the coffee."

"With what?" She said holding the pot just out of Erik's reach.

"What do you think? He's never had the chicken pox." He said grabbing for the coffee. Raven, satisfied with the answer, poured him a cup and pushed it over to him as he glared at her.

"Don't look at me like that. You got some didn't you?"

"Very funny." He said dryly taking a sip then spitting it back out immediately. "What the hell is this? Did someone burn the coffee?"

"Don't you like it, Dad?" Sean asked from the other side of the room in a small voice. He looked at Erik with wide puppy-like eyes.

"I…can drink it." He said after a moment, not having the heart to say anything else. He took another sip and nearly gagged, before turning back to Sean.

"Would you like to learn a…better recipe for coffee?" He asked almost desperately. Sean pondered it a moment before smiling wide and nodding. "Ok, go get the coffee can and some cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise."

"Charles usually drinks it." Raven said looking at Erik in appreciation.

"Charles wouldn't know a good cup of coffee, if it bit him in the ass." He replied dumping the nasty concocation Sean had made and rinsing the pot. After teaching Sean how to make a decent cup, they all sat with the coffee and bowels of cereal in front of them. Hank walked in and started rummaging around in the cupboards when a small blue streak, followed by a small grey streak, ran through the kitchen and into the pantry.

"What was that?" Erik asked staring at the pantry door.

"Hank, could you feed the cats since your up?" Raven asked batting her eyes at the large blue mutant.

"Sure." He replied blushing slightly as he disappeared into the other room.

"Other cats?" Erik asked looking from Raven to Sean and back.

"Yeah, we all have one. Azure's mine, he's the blue one, Rodney's Sean's, the grey streak,…umm…Lady is Alex's, she's calico. And Oro is Angel's, he's a sort of gold color. And you've already met Regina and Puella." Raven said shrugging her shoulders.

"Figure's, I'm out a week and you all get…animals." Erik said wrinkling his nose.

"Hey! They were abandoned, just like us!" Sean shot back pointing a spoon at Erik. "Besides you like them. I see you smile at Puella and Regina all the time."

Erik shrugged and continued eating as Hank walked out of the pantry to continue to get his breakfast.

'_Erik?'_

"Charles?"

"Did you say something, Da-I mean Erik." Hank asked as he sat down.

"Charles is projecting. Excuse me." Erik replied standing up to take his bowel to the sink.

'_Erik could you bring some tea and toast up to my room?'_

'_Sure.'_

'_Thank you.'_

Erik quickly made a pot of tea and several pieces of toast, put them on a tray and carried it up the stairs. He opened the door to Charles room softly and quietly walked in. Charles was sitting up in the middle of bed, reading a bunch of papers, Lily and Alex were sleeping peacefully on either side of him. Erik set the tray down and cleared his throat.

'_Thank you so much, Erik.' _Charles thought looking up at him. He raised a piece of paper he was reading in the air. _'Bills. It gets expensive when Alex and Hank blow things up. And I'm still paying for Sean's mishap with the crystal chandelier.'_

'_You can cover it right?' _Erik asked walking over with a thermometer and cup of tea in hand.

'_Of course I can. The bills do pile up though.'_ He replied taking the cup gratefully.

'_Ok, Open.'_ Erik thought holding the thermometer out.

'_No. I'm feeling fine.'_

'_Open.'_

'_No!'_

'_Charles…'_

'_You're not so mean to the kids.' _Charles thought as he opened his mouth reluctantly.

'_They are children, you're a grown man. A hundred t__wo, not bad but I still don't like it.' _Erik though openly to Charles bringing the plate of toast over to the bed side table.

'_You're just a pushover when it comes to them.' _Charles thought mischievously. Erik simply smiled sarcastically as he pulled the papers from Charles lap.

'_Get some sleep. We need you well.' _He thought as he turned to go.

'_Ayeaye mon capitaine.' _Charles though with a smile as he sank down in the bed. Erik walked down the stairs, making his way back to the kitchen, when Sean ran past him with a terrified look on his face.

"Sean? What's…" Erik began before being boweled over by Hank who was sprinting after Sean with the same look of terror on his face.

"S-sorry, Da-I-Erik. But seriously RUN!" He said rolling to his feet and taking off.

"SHIT!" screeched a voice, rivaling Sean's in frequency and decibel level. "SEAN! I'M GONNA _KILL YOU_!"

Raven stomped into the hallway, but stopped short when she saw Erik getting up.

"Why do you want to kill him?" He asked as Raven turned a bright shade of red and shuffled her feet a little.

"He…uh…well…"

"Spit it out."

"He um…threw all my…personal stuff…in the toilet." She said blushing even harder.

"Huh?" Erik said with a confused look.

Raven, if possible, turned even brighter red, and mumbled to herself before taking a deep breath.

"I need to go to the store." she said.

"For what?"

"You know…Girl stuff."

Erik still looked confused for a moment before comperhesion dawned on his face. He turned a deep shade of red as he turned after Sean.

"SEAN! GET BACK HERE!" He shouted. Sean ran back and stopped ten feet away from him and Raven.

"Are you going to let her kill me?" He asked timidly. Erik strode up to Sean and clamped a hand on the back of the boy's neck steering him to the front door.

"No, but I might. Get in the car!" He said. "Hank! If Charles or the other's need anything…"

"I'll take care of it." Came the muffled reply from down the hall.

"You're sure you need to get…girl stuff?" Erik asked as he pulled them into the store parking lot.

"_Yes_, If didn't I wouldn't have thrown such a fit!" She replied. "Or would you rather I…"

"AH! Don't say it!" Sean said covering his ears. Raven smirked as she got out of the car and started walking in.

"Sean go with her. You get to carry the bags." Erik said rubbing his forehead.

"I-What?"

"Go, or you get to help me later with the metal sheets Hank needs for Cerebro!"

"But…"

"NOW!"

Sean scrambled out of the car and followed Raven into the store as Erik leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. It wasn't even ten-o'clock yet.

Angel softly pushed the bedroom door open and tiptoed in. She looked at Charles, Alex and Lily sleeping peacefully on the large bed. She quietly, watching Charles the entire time, walked over to the side Lily was sleeping on. She gently plucked a strand of hair from Lily's head and placed it in a plastic bag, sealing it as she turned to go.

"What are you doing?" Hank asked from the door.

"Just…uh…checking to see if they're ok." She said stuffing the bag in her pocket.

"Oh…Ok." Hank said moving out of the way so she could leave the room. He watched her run to her room and close the door before going into Charles room himself.

"Sean, I don't want to hear it." Erik said walking into the house two hours later rubbing his temples. The shopping trip had turned into quite the spectical after Sean, red-faced and humiliated, ran back to the car as Raven screeched something about condoms and pineapples before going back into the store.

"She made me hold _all_ of the…the _girl stuff_, and then dragged me off to look at…_underwear_." He said whining As Raven stomped up to him.

"Oh shut up! It's not like you died! Besides you're not the one who's got…"

"Don't say it!" Both Sean and Erik blurted out together.

"FINE! Je-sus, men are so squemish!" She said huffing off upstairs. Erik grabbed Sean by the shoulder and pulled him up so he was eye level with the taller man.

"If you EVER make me do that again…I'll let her kill you and then _I'll _find something to do to you. Clear?" He groweled to Sean.

"Cr-crystal." Sean whimpered. Erik released the boy, who ran off as though he'd been shot at, in the other direction.

"Da-Erik, Mo-I mean…"

"Hank, for the love of God, just call us mom and dad already." Erik said looking up at the blue mutant.

"Uh…ok, _dad_. Mom wants to talk to you."

"What about?"

"I don't know…Dad?" Hank asked.

"Yes?" Erik said turning halfway up the stairs.

"Angel…I don't trust Angel."

"Neither do I." Erik replied looking back at the young blue mutant, before continuing up the stairs.


	18. Chapter 18

HelloHello! I'm just gonna shut up and let you read this one. Love the reviews and all the readers! Translations are: Be a good girl my little one. and I love you. Enjoy!

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><p>"You have all the phone numbers? The restaurant? The hospital? The fire department? Mrs. O'Reily's?"<p>

"Mom, Mrs. O'Reily lives five miles away, and she doesn't own a car." Alex said putting an arm around Sean's shoulders. "We'll be fine, really."

"Yeah, relax Mom! If we decide to blow the house up, we'll call first, 'kay?" Sean supplied with a smile.

"You're so considerate." Charles replied rolling his eyes. "Erik! Ready to go?"

Erik looked over to the small group at the door and nodded, holding up a finger before turning back to Hank.

"Keep an eye on things here, alright? And watch out for…you know." He said as Hank nodded gravely. "I have a weird feeling about this."

"Don't worry Dad. I'll watch over everyone." Hank said seriously as they walked over to the group by the door.

"Ok! Last hugs!" Charles said. All the kids mobbed both adults with tight hugs.

"Hey! Hey!" Lily said hovering around trying to get into the group. "Let me in!"

"Ok, ok, let Lily in. She's littler then you giants." Charles said as Raven let go of him. Lily floated down into his arms and hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Get to bed on time, Lily-bear. And don't forget to brush your teeth, ok?" He said rubbing her back and hugging her tightly back.

"Yes, Mummy." She said into his neck. Charles handed her over to Erik who looked at her seriously before hugging her as tightly as he could.

"Sei ein braves Mädchen, miene Kleine." He whispered into her ear. She smiled and nodded before he gave her one last squeeze then put her down. She held the door for them as they left the house.

"Ich Liebe Dich!" She called after them as they pulled out of the driveway.

"I don't like this, Charles. Maybe we shouldn't go." Erik said turning to watch the house shrink in the distance.

"We can't ignore this, Erik. Besides Moira said it was important. The kids can take care of each other." Charles replied his eyes on the road. Erik watched with a raised eyebrow as the speedometer rose above seventy.

"Feeling the same way?" He asked with amusment.

"I don't trust those hooligans home alone for long."

They soon reached the restaurant and pulled into the parking lot. Erik locked the doors before following Charles into the building.

"Three for eight o'clock under Xavier." Charles said to the host, leaning on the podium.

"Yes, sir. Your…date…has already arrived." He said with a cynical look at Erik before leading them to a table in the back.

'_No, you can't kill him.'_ Charles thought to Erik as they approached the table. Moira was already seated at the table with a glass of wine in front of her. She looked at Charles and Erik, did a double take, then went paler and paler as they walked up.

"Hello Moira! It's really good to see you again!" Charles said, smiling as he took his seat. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Erik silently sat down next to Charles, his face carefully blank as he looked Moira over.

"Ch-Charles? What's…What's going on?" She replied looking around wildly.

"Moira…you asked us to come here to meet you. You had something important to tell us." Charles said confused. Erik's eyes got wide for a moment before leaning in closely towards Moira.

"What's the last thing you remember, Moira?" He asked quietly with a dangerous look in his eye.

"I-I remember…the CIA…And a very beautiful women was sitting in front of me…and then…Oh no." She said looking terrified.

"NO!" Charles shouted standing up.

"What?" Moira said hysterically. Charles looked at Erik and said one word.

"Frost."

They tore out of the restaurant as fast as the could, Erik jumping into the drivers seat and starting the car.

"Drive, drive, drive!" Charles said as he yanked his door shut behind him. Erik floored it as soon as they were out on the road, gunning the motor to over a hundred miles an hour. Charles put his fingers to his temple and tried to contact the house.

"She's blocking me! If I could just-…AGH!" Charles screamed bowing up in his seat as the gate came into view. Erik blew the gate apart and practically flew the car through the front door.

"Charles!"

"Th-the K-kids! Lily! AHH!" he screamed in agony. Erik ran out of the car and into the house. He could hear sounds of battle echoing through the house.

"LET HER GO! Leave her alone! Call Mom and Dad! IT'S TO LATE!" He heard the kids shouting, his eyes traveled up to the landing on the stairs where he saw a long pale arm hanging over the top step. He was about to run into the library when there was an almighty, 'CRASH', and everything went frighteningly silent.

"LILY!" Raven shrieked as she limped out of the library hanging onto the door for support. Tears ran freely down her face as well as blood, she spotted Erik and fell in her attempt to reach him.

"They took her! They took Lily! Hank's been knocked unconscious…I don't know where Sean is and…I-I think Alex is dead!" She sobbed as Erik bent down to inspect her.

"Raven!" Charles yelled running to her side. Erik walked into the library to see Hank lying on the ground with a large bruise blossoming on his forehead. Alex was embedded in one of the bookshelves, blood dripping from his hands.

"She was blocking me and then…it felt like fire was being poured into my mind." Charles said walking into the room supporting Raven to a chair.

"Where's Angel?" Erik asked moving to gently pull Alex out of the shelves. He carried the young mutant to the couch and placed him down on it with extreme tenderness.

"She left…with them." Raven spat out. "Is he going to be ok?"

"I think so…The blood's from a head wound, he's just unconscious." Erik replied. "What happened?"

"We were playing Charades when…someone rang the doorbell. They were dressed like suits, we thought they were from the CIA." Raven said trembling uncontrollably.

"You let them in?" Charles asked as Erik handed her the remains of a slightly smoking blanket before going to check on Hank.

"N-no…we told them to go away. Then _she_ walked in and everything went to hell." Raven said starting to cry again. "We tried to protect her…we tried so hard."

"I know, Raven, I know." Charles said pulling her into a gentle hug. Erik stood up and looked at Charles for a moment before turning to go check Sean on the stairs. Charles got up and left Raven after a minute to join him.

"How are they?" He asked watching Erik check Sean over.

"They'll live…Sean and Alex need to get to a hospital though." He said shaking his head. "They took her Charles, she's just a little kid. What the hell could they want with a little girl?"

"I don't know…but we're going to find out." Charles said walking up the stairs. Erik looked at Charles' face and could see the barely controlled panic building behind them.

"Charles? What's wrong?" Erik asked turning to the younger man.

"I-I can't sense her anymore…she's just…gone. And I can't see her anymore." Charles said taking deep breaths. Erik pulled him in close and held him for a moment.

"We'll find her Charles, if we have to burn the whole world…We'll find her." He said soothingly.

"Charles?" A soft voice said from the front door. Both men turned to lean over the railing to see Moira standing there looking up at them.

"I'm so sorry, Charles." She said walking in. "What can I do?"

"You can call an ambulance, Alex and Sean need a hospital. Stay with them, all of them, no matter what." Charles said walking down the stairs with Erik.

"Where are you going?" Raven asked from the library doorway.

"Hunting. They can't hide from me." Charles said darkly gently hugging Raven again.

"But…How?"

"We'll use Cerebro."

"Charles, you can't! Hank hasn't finished synchronizing your brainwaves yet." She said quietly.

"It's close enough…We have to find her, Raven. And they can't hide anymore."

"Ready?" Erik asked putting a hand on Charles shoulder.

"As I'll ever be. Take care of our kids Moira." He said looking at her one last time. They walked down to the, still under construction, underground area.

"You're sure about this, Charles?" Erik asked.

"We don't have much choice." He said kneeling down to the eye scanner and holding his eye out wide. "They could be anywhere and with Cerebro we have a better chance of finding her and them."

They walked into the large circle of a room small lights illuminating the way to a small desk with a helmet on it.

"You want to stay? She has a connection to both of us…it might help." Charles said sitting down at the desk and putting the helmet on.

"Sure. Anything I need to know?" Erik said patting the panels he'd help put in with pride.

"Just…don't move."


	19. Chapter 19

Hallo! Again i'll just shut up and let you all read. Love the reviews and all you Readers! Thanks so much for...well reading! translations are: Damn it Kid! and Nicht=No. i hope you enjoy!

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><p>"Let me go! OW! Let me GO!" Lily shrieked as she bit and scratched at Azazel's arms.<p>

"Get this kid off me!" He yelled shaking his arms to get rid of her. Angel grabbed at Lily and was rewarded by being kicked in the face.

"ENOUGH!" Emma Frost shouted yanking Lily from Azazel's arms and tossing her onto a chair.

"Listen here you little brat, if you don't co-operate and be a good little mutant, I'll have to punish you. Got it?" Angel said in an angry voice.

"My Vati is going to kill you!" Lily said with a scowl. Frost bent down until she was eye level with the little girl.

"I wouldn't count on it, kid. If anyone's going to die, it'll be your 'Parents'." She said with a sickly sweet smile.

"I'd like to see you try." Lily said slapping the older women across the face with as much power as she could muster behind it.

"Why you…" Frost said raising a threatening hand.

"No Ma'am! Don't!" Riptide said grabbing her hand. Emma looked at him lividly before marching off rubbing her red cheek.

"You restrain her then!" She shouted behind her.

"Take me back home!" Lily shouted loudly.

"You're stuck here kid, whether you want to be or not is irrelevant…" Riptide began. Lily sprang up from the chair and began to kick him for all she was worth.

"Ow! OW! Stop that!OOOWW!"

"TAKE…ME…HOME!" She shouted punctuating each word with a kick.

"Maldita sea niño!" Angel said dragging Lily away from Riptide and tying her up with duct tape. "Now stay!"

"Nicht!" She yelled back struggling against her bonds. "Nicht nicht nicht nicht!"

"Give me that!" Azazel said grabbing the duct tape and taping Lily's mouth shut. There was a few seconds of blissful silence before Lily bombarded them with images and voices.

'_Nicht! Let me go! MUMMY! VATI! HELP!' _

"Shut her up!" Riptide shouted. Emma ran back into the room and threw her power out toward the small girl. Lily's eyes flicked over to the telepath and she blasted the White Queen off her feet. 'WACK!' Azazel struck Lily upside the head with his tail. Everyone relaxed as she went limp and the images and voices receded.

"I'm gonna _kill_…" Angel began. Emma grabbed her by the arm and held her tight.

"No! Do not harm her! You know what she is!" Emma said glaring at the younger women. Angel glared back a moment before nodding and ripped her arm from Emma's grasp.

"Go throw her in the other room." She said to Riptide, who looked at the small child with apprehension. She rolled her eyes at the man. "She's unconscious, she can't hurt you now! Go!"

Riptide gingerly picked up the girl and carried her to the room, tossing her on the bed before closing and locking the door behind him. Lily peeked her eyes open before sitting up. She worked at the strips of duct tape a moment before getting her hands free and ripping the tape off her mouth. She climbed down off the bed and went straight to the window. Drawing the cutain back, she stared out at the desert and black sky filled with stars with a mixture of fear and anger.

'_They took me from my family…I'm so…mad…' _

Lily jumped when a large vase behind her exploded into a million pieces. She took a few deep breaths before calming her mind, just like her Mummy had taught her to do when she got angry. Suddenly the door behind her opened and she turned to see Emma Frost standing in the doorway, covered with diamonds.

"Are you going to behave now?" She asked in a cold voice.

"Habe ich eine Wahl?" She replied. _Do I have a choice?_

"Nicht wicklich." Emma said walking into the room. _Not really._

"Pourquoi m'as-tu prende?" Lily asked switching languages flawlessly. _Why did you take me?_

"Vous êtes trés important pour nous." Emma answered keeping up. _You are very important to us._

"Anymore languages you want to try?" She asked with a smile.

"Jesteś kurwa suka!" Lily yelled thinking of something her Vati sometimes called the woman. _You are a fucking bitch!_

"What did you just call me?" She shrieked advancing on Lily. "You heard me!" Lily said backing up to the window in fear.

"You little…Didn't your sainted parents teach you any manners?" She said raising up a diamond arm.

"Yes, but they're for company!" Lily shouted as Emma struck her hard across the face sending her spiraling down into darkness.

'_Lily? Lily Where are you?'_

'_Here! I'm here Mummy!'_

'_Lily! We're coming for you! Hold on!'_

'_Hurry, Mummy!'_

Lily awoke from her dream to a nasty headache and a cold body. The room's door opened a moment to allow Angel in. She placed a tray of food on the table and turned to go.

"Why?" Lily asked from the floor in a small voice. She turned to look at the child with a sneer on her face and anger in her eyes.

"You don't know yet. They won't want you after this, not even Professor X. You're going to get what everyone gets in the end." She said bitterly.

"What's that?" Lily asked as she tried to stand up.

"Rejected by everyone you loved."

"Why did you throw what you had away? Mummy and Vati would've loved you, we all would've."

"We shouldn't have to hide. We are superior to those…humans, in every single way. They should bow to our order." Angel spat out to the girl.

"We…aren't any different then the humans." Lily said gasping slightly, head throbbing, as she crawled to the bed stand.

"No? Look at us! You could kill everyone within a ten mile radius. I have wings!"

"That doesn't stop us from making the same mistakes. It doesn't change our genetic history."

"Suddenly so smart? You're three years old…you couldn't possibly understand." Angel said turning to leave. The bedroom door slammed shut and clicked from the outside. She turned to look at Lily with attempted anger, but only succeded with thinly disguised fear.

"I…understand far better…then you. If you…were so much…superior to a human…then you would accept…Vati and Mummy's…love for each other…you would accept…everyone…for who they are…not just…for who they pretend to be. Being superior…doesn't mean…having the strongest power…or the greatest mind…it means…having respect…for _all_ forms of life…not just the ones you deem to be worthy." Lily said gasping as she straightened up to look Angel directly in the eye. Her purple eyes glowed faintly and Angel could feel her pent up power waiting to be unleashed.

"You say mutant and proud like it's a badge of honor. I hate to break it to you…but it was first said by a human…and humanity is where we came from…no matter what anyone tells you…you are still only human."

Angel backed up until she hit the door and groped for the handle. Lily unlocked the door and threw the woman out of the room, before collapsing on the ground from dizziness. She attempted to raise her head after a moment but found she didn't have the control. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling until the blackness creeping into her vision couldn't be held off any longer.

'_Mummy, Vati…please hurry.'_ She thought as darkness took her once more.


	20. Chapter 20

HalloHallo! Thanks for all the reviews and all the people who read this! Another chapter is up! Things are getting interesting are they not? No translations this time sweeties but some interesting plot development. And, as always, Enjoy! 

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><p>Angel hit the opposite wall, hard, as the door slammed in her face. She leaned over breathing deeply as she tried to rid the image of Lily's powerful gaze from her mind.<p>

"What's up? Is the kid awake?" Azazel asked passing by her.

"Y-yeah…Do you know how strong she is?" Angel asked looking up at the red mutant.

"No…I don't care either. And if this is going to turn into some three hour chit-chat, go talk to Riptide cause I really don't care about your problems." He said continuing down the hallway. Angel stood up after a moment, thinking briefly about Raven and their long late-night talks about whatever was on their minds, and headed down to Frost's room.

"Come in, Angel." She said before Angel could knock on the door. The young woman came into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. Emma was sitting at her desk doing paperwork, dressed in the Hellfire Club lingerie, gleaming in her diamond form. When Angel didn't speak at once she turned to the younger woman in irritation.

"What do you want? I'm in the middle of something." She said in annoyance. Angel thought back to when she would talk to Charles and he would _listen_ to her, not just think she was an annoying teenager.

" Oh please. He's not going to care about you now. You got your second chance, sweetheart, and blew it. We are your only chance now." Frost said with a sneer. Angel jumped a little, she'd forgotten that Frost could and would read her mind without hesitation.

"I…just…" Angel said trying to fix her thoughts.

"Spit it out, girl!"

"How strong is Lily?" She asked finally. Emma looked at her a moment before laughing out loud.

"I'm sorry…why do you need to know? I don't remember anything in your job description about needing to know everything about the brat."

"I…just…"

"Are you afraid of her? I don't blame you, if I could be beaten in a philosophical debate by a three-year-old, I'd be afraid too."

"Aren't you afraid of her? She knocked you off your feet, got into all our heads and that doesn't even cover Cuba!" Angel said desperately.

"Paltry palour tricks, nothing more. She barely slapped me, and projecting is something even a non-telepath can do…she's not that powerful." Emma replied going back to her paperwork.

"And Cuba?"

Emma held up the note's Angel had stolen from Hank's lab and waved them in her face.

"If you had read this then you'd know she wasn't the one entirely responsible for that incident. A psychic link isn't anything to be sniffed at." She said before throwing the papers back on the desk. Angel turned to go but stopped before leaving.

"Really Angel, I have a lot of work to get…"

"You're scared of her." Angel said turning back to the diamond woman in amazment.

"Me? Scared of that little monster? She's a child…she wouldn't even be able to control her own telepathy if it wasn't for the barriers that pompous rag of a telepath put in her mind." Emma said laughing. "Her telekinetic powers haven't even matured enough for her to lose control of them and she can't even read or write her own name."

Angel simply kept looking at her boss with a straight face until Emma's laughter slowly died away.

"If you're not afraid of her then shift into your normal form." She said with a small smile. Frost looked at her a moment before turning back to her desk. Angel looked at the women in horror as she backed up a little.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking, bringing her here?" Angel hissed. "She's their baby! You haven't seen them with her, they _love_ her! Charles and Erik will find us and and when they do they'll kill us!"

"Maybe I want them to find us…Have you even thought of that?" Emma said glaring at the suddenly outspoken mutant.

"For god's sake _WHY_? Charles'll flay all our minds the second he gets in here and I don't even want to know what Erik's got planned!" Angel said in horror.

"Charles? That hack of a professor who couldn't even penetrate my mind without help? He's no match for me…And Erik? I'll have him taken care of…" She said with a nasty smile.

"Charles may not worry you, but Erik's killed people…power or no."

"So have I." Emma said with a glare. "Now go away! They aren't going to find us anytime soon. And the brat's unconscious again."

"I wouldn't doubt Charles' power, Frost. And I wouldn't dismiss Erik so easily…you could end up dead." Angel said before leaving the room. Emma sat looking at her desk for a long while before slowly shifting into her normal blonde apperance. She picked up her pen and resumed working after making sure the kid was comepletly unconscious.

"Ma'am?" Riptide asked tapping lightly on the door, causing her to jump out of her seat.

"Uh…Package for you, Miss. Frost." He said in confusion holding out a manila envelope.

"Oh…Thank you Riptide." She said taking the envelope and shutting her door. She slit the package open and pulled out a sheet of paper. Soon she was smiling widely and chuckling to herself.

"Perfect." She said, eyes alight. "Absolutely perfect."

Angel slammed the door to her room shut before sitting on the bed with her head in her hands. She missed the mansion, with it's friendly undertones and someone to talk to if she needed. She missed Raven, constantly pulling her off on some adventure or another with Hank, as well as being an almost perfect friend. But, most of all, she missed Charles and Erik's presence. They made her feel safe, even when she knew she was going to betray them and steal their pride and joy away from them.

She began to cry silently in fear as she thought about what they would do to her if Emma couldn't pull off this kidnapping thing. She shouldn't have done it, she'd known what was going to happen but she hadn't thought of how attached she'd become to the others.

"I'm so sorry…" She whispered into her hands. Tears falling onto the carpet. "This is all my fault."

'_Angel?'_

She sat up at the sudden intrusion of Charles voice into her mind.

"Charles?" She whispered.

'_Why have you done this?'_

"I had no choice…she…she would've killed me." She said to the empty room.

'_We would have protected you Love. Now there isn't much I can do.'_

"I-I don't want to go back…I want to stay…"

'_Angel, honey, do you really want to do this? She's making you strip for the club she's fronting…Do you really want that life?'_

"It's worked for me so far."

'_You didn't have to do this…'_

"Yes I did! Mutants are the superior! We shouldn't have to hide, we should be able to walk out in the open. That's the future I fight for." Angel said raising her voice slightly.

'_Do you? That's not the future I see in Emma's mind…Oh well, Good-bye Angel. We won't talk again, Love.'_

Charles presence left her mind and she felt like she couldn't breath. She wanted to go back so badly, but she'd made her decision a long time ago.

"She's in London." Charles said to Erik as he opened his eyes in Cerebro. "Let's go."


	21. Chapter 21

Hello! Again gonna shut up cause this speaks for itself. translations are Suka=Bitch in polish. and as always Enjoy! P.s. Love the reviews and all the readers! Enjoy!

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><p>Two men walked into the bar, a gentlemen's club actually, one in a dark suit with the look of someone who was ready to murder an incalculable number of people; the other, wearing a classy turtle neck and leather jacket, looked like he already had. They were escorted to a small table in the far back of the club's stage floor by a waitress wearing…well, not wearing much. They both sat, the one in the suit ordering something for the both of them.<p>

As the waitress sauntered off they took in their surroundings, looking around at the various clientele and girls. Erik was watching the woman rubbing herself all over a pole on the stage in barely conceled distaste

"I can't believe they brought her here. What were they thinking?" He whispered to Charles who was watching the girl with a hard look on his face.

"They were thinking we wouldn't be able to find them so quickly." He said leaning over to catch a scantily clad waitress by the arm. "Excuse me? When is Angel performing? We've heard so much about her and we want to make sure we haven't missed it."

"She's up next, Sir. But I'm sure I could make you much more comfortable then she would." The young girl said with a flirtatious smile at the handsome telepath.

"No thank you dear…" Charles said sitting back in his seat glowering at the stage. Erik raised an eyebrow at the man before another waitress brought them their drinks. He tipped the girl generously before sinking into his own thoughts of the previous night.

As soon as Charles had gotten a bead on where they had taken Lily the two had hurried to the airport, taking Charles' private jet to London, where they'd met a driver who took them to a five-star hotel in the heart of the city. Erik was pleasantly surprised at the large bedroom, living room, and small kitchen, the suite apparently came with.

"Where was this when we were out looking for everyone?" He'd asked Charles who was pulling out a couple of suits from the large closet in the bedroom.

"In my pocketbook. I'm sick of the CIA. And please don't say anything to Raven…if she knew about this I'd never hear the end of it about Oxford." Charles had said as he pulled on a new dark suit.

"Whatever you say, cheapskate." Erik had replied with a smile.

"Earth to Erik!" Charles said snapping Erik out of his reverie. "She's coming out."

Angel sashayed out to the pole in the middle of the stage and swung around a few times. Charles placed a finger to his temple and sent a trailing thought out to the young girl.

'_Angel.'_

She immediately fell to the floor in a heap before looking out into the audience. Charles arched an eyebrow and saluted her with his drink as she spotted him and Erik in the far back.

"Showtime." Erik said to Charles as she ran off stage. They both moved to the stairs going down to the lower floor, Charles easily tricking the bodyguard into letting them beyond the red rope. Once down, they threaded their way through the mass of scantily clad women and business suited men to a small door behind the bar. Charles kept a look out while Erik used his power to unlock the door and force his way inside. After a moment Charles followed, the door barely clicking behind him.

They entered a small study with an ornate desk and lamp in the middle of the room. Decorative swords and medival looking torture instruments hung from the walls as they made their way to the double doors across the room. Charles put his hand on one doorknob, Erik's on the other, and, with a look at each other, pushed the door open.

"My, my, my, a double door entry. How quaint." Emma Frost said from a throne-like chair in the middle of the room. She was flanked by Riptide and Angel, the former looking dangerous, the latter terrified. Azazel was standing off to the side leaning against a large chair.

"We've come for our child." Charles said in a dangerously quiet voice.

"I see that…but the question is…will you want her?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow as she tossed something to Charles. Erik reached out a hand and it zoomed into his grasp. He turned it over and saw it was a child sized heart and star sliver braclet.

"What have you done to her?" He growled causing Angel to visably flinch. Emma smiled and nodded to Azazel who vanished with a 'Crack!', only to reappear with a limp Lily in his arms.

"Lily!" Charles said taking a step toward her.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Emma said holding up a finger. "If you make one move towards her Azazel poofs to Antarctica and leaves her there."

Charles moved back to his previous postion and simply glowered, while Erik's eyes grew darker as they looked at the blonde. Lily stirred in Azazel's arms and he almost dropped her as she pushed herself up. Erik and Charles both took a deep inhalation of air as the large purple bruise, running from her left temple down the side of her face, was illuminated.

"You…" Erik began.

"No! Don't! Lily's awake!" Charles said putting a hand on Erik's shoulder.

"How sweet. Wanting to spare her sweet young ears from rough language? I think you may have failed as a parent Charles Xavier." Emma said cruelly.

"Suka!" Lily shrieked before holding her head in her hands.

Erik's eyes went wide and he couldn't stop a laugh from bubbling out of his tense frame. Charles looked at him in confusion a moment before Erik bent over to whisper in his ear.

"Lily!" He said in a scolding tone before Erik hushed him.

"That one is my fault I'm afraid. Although I certainly never _said _it in front of her." Erik said smiling at his young daughter.

"I see…Was it also you who taught her, her manners? They are equally atrocious." She replied with a sneer.

"Manners aren't for kidnappers…they're for company." Charles said with a small smile at Lily before turning serious again. "Give her back."

"Oh I don't think so. You see she's part of my master plan…we need her." Emma said looking like a cat with all the cream in the pantry.

"Your plan for world domiation?" Charles asked.

"No, mutant domiation. Erik understands, don't you Erik?"

"Yes, but Lily is off limits…she's not going to be a part of any war. Human or mutant." Erik said dangerously.

"How about personal?" Emma said pulling out a folded piece of paper.

"What's that?" Charles asked looking at it in confusion.

"It's a piece of paper." She said smiling.

"We can see that. What's on it?" Erik asked rolling his eyes.

"A secret…a deadly dangerous secret."

"Which you're going to tell us?…" Charles asked raising an eyebrow. Emma simply smiled and threw the paper to Charles, who opened it and read what was there, his eyes growing wider as his face went paler and paler.

"What is it?" Erik asked after a minute. Charles simply stared at him before looking at Frost with a look of horror on his face.

"It's not true…you faked it." He gasped out.

"Read my mind. I can assure you it's not." She said widening her smile. Charles looked from the paper to Lily to Erik and back again.

"What is it, Charles? It's not like it says you're her biological father…" Erik said with a snort. "Does it?"

"What?" Charles said, snapping from his shock and blushing furiously. "N-no! Julia's…just a friend…I'd never…"

Erik raised an eyebrow at the brown-haired telepath.

"Ok! It was one time! Before I met you…it was her eighteenth birthday! Lily's too old." Charles said in slight confusion.

"Ok, so not you…Me?" Erik asked. Charles looked at the man in shock and disgust.

"What? I'm no saint…" He said shrugging his shoulders.

"Erik…Julia was fifteen when Lily was born." Charles said as Erik's face took on a look of extreme disgust.

"No she isn't mine…what's the paper say?" Erik asked again reaching for it. Charles took a step back from the bigger man and held it out of reach. Erik looked at him in confusion before putting his hand down.

"Charles, what…?"

"As much as I am _loving_ this, we really have a schedule to keep. Charles tell him…or I will." Emma said looking at her watch.

"No." Charles said looking at Emma with anger on his face. She simply sighed and snapped her fingers signaling Azazel to place Lily on the ground. The little girl looked around for a moment before running to her parents. Erik scooped the small child up and placed her on his hip as he turned to go.

"Come on Charles, let's go." He said. Charles simply looked at him with apperhension, eyes darting Erik to Emma.

"We…we can't…not yet." He said stepping towards the two hesitantly.

"Charles, you're not going to suddenly turn hellfire club on me are you? Even if you would look good in the…" Erik glanced at Emma and Angel. "Uniform."

"Tell him, Xavier." Emma purred.

"Erik let me hold Lily." Charles said holding out his arms. Erik looked at him in confusion and didn't let her go.

"No. Let's go. We have who we came for…" He said holding Lily tightly. Charles looked at Emma one last time before taking a deep breath and handing the paper to Erik.

"Yes…" Emma hissed softly and Angel's eyes glistened with unshed tears. Erik read and reread the paper as he let Lily slowly slide down to the floor.

"Vati!" She said holding up her arms to him. "Vati, you let me slip!"

"Erik, this doesn't change anything…it doesn't matter at all…Erik?" Charles said trying to hide the hint of panic in his voice as he watched the other man's, the more dangerous man's, face grow darker and darker as his eyes flew over the page. Finally his eyes snapped down to Lily, who held her arms up to him, then over to Charles, who pleaded with him using his eyes, before finally resting on Emma, who smiled a triumphant smile. Erik threw the paper to the ground and walked out of the room, not looking back.

The paper fluttered to the floor, amid Emma's victorious laughter, face up to reaveal it's contents:

PATERNITY TEST

CHILD: **LILY**

MOTHER: **JULIA VANDERHOUSEN**

FATHER:** SEBASTIAN SHAW**


	22. Chapter 22

HalloHallo! Shutting up now! i know you're all dying to know what happens next! So Love the reviews and all you readers! Translations are: Dad drop the sword! Oh, shit...and i love you mom and dad. As always Enjoy!

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><p>"Erik!" Charles yelled after his retreating figure. Lily attempted to run after Erik but was pulled back into Charles' arms.<p>

"VATI!" She screamed watching him walk away, tears spilling out of her eyes as she struggled against Charles grip on her.

"No, Lily! You mustn't!" He said tighting his arms around her.

"VATI!"

_'We have to let him come back on his own!'_ He thought into her whirling panicked mind. Somehow she calmed down enough to look up at Charles with tears on her face and in her eyes.

_'What if he doesn't?'_

"He will…he has to…he has to…" Charles said pulling Lily in close as he stood up to face the rest of the Hellfire Club.

"I can assure you, he won't…Unlike you, I have no qualms about reading others minds." Emma said with a short laugh. "His hatred of Shaw runs so deep that he'll leave you and a child for us to do with what we will."

She snapped her fingers and the two other men began advancing on Charles and Lily slowly. Charles backed up until he hit the side of the door tighting his hold on Lily even more, as she held onto him for dear life.

"You can not have her!" He said as Riptide and Azazel closed in on them.

"I think I can…I will take her and train her to hate and fear humans, just as much as they hate and fear us! She will become a great leader for the mutant cause and lead us into a new age! A perfect age of Mutant power! We will no longer need to hide our abilities, we will finally be able to walk freely and in the open. No longer in fear of what a _human_ might do to us." Emma finished spitting out the last few words as though they were contaminated.

"At what cost?" Charles said trying to extend his power out towards the two mutants a step away from him.

"No tricks, _Professor_!" Emma said winging her power out to slap his mind and bring him to his knees. "You have no idea how _long _I've wanted to do that! I will have the girl and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

Emma laughed maniacally as Riptide grabbed a hold on Lily's arm and Azazel grabbed Charles shoulders. Suddenly there was a high-pitched whistling noise that caused everyone in the room to look up.

"CHARLES DUCK!" Erik shouted as Riptide and Azazel jumped out of the way.

He flattened himself down on top of Lily as three very large swords screeched their way past him. He could practically feel one dig into his spine as it barely made it past the small of his back. Charles looked up as two of the swords embedded themselves in the back wall, the other caught in Emma's diamond hand. Erik leaped over Charles and Lily with another sword drawn in his hand postioning himself between them and the Hellfire Club.

"Go! Get out of here!" He shouted, eyes skimming over all the other mutants.

"Hell no! Not without you!" Charles said jumping up with Lily in his arms.

"Vati! Lassen Sie das Schwert!" Lily said to Erik her eyes beginning to glow white as she stared at Emma.

"Oh, mierda." Angel said backing away from Emma, looking ready to run away. Erik turned to look at the small girl before both Charles and him fell to their knees.

Lily stood and raised her arms, causing all the metal in the room to rattle dangerously before focusing in on the swords. They all rose in the air, blunting themselves, as they flew around the room destroying everything.

_**'I WILL NEVER FOLLOW YOU!' **_She thought to everyone's mind, Angel grabbing her head as she remembered the deep ageless voice from Cuba and tried to run out of the room.

After the initial shock of Lily temporarily jacking into their powers, Charles slowly stood up. He felt…strange, like he could feel all the metal in a three hundred mile radius, but it went deeper then that…He felt as though he were…_connected_ to the Earth somehow. Charles slowly reached out a hand to feel the air and heard a choking noise from the door behind him. Angel was raised up on her toes being choked by a gold chain around her neck. He dropped his hand in shock and she fell to the ground rubbing her neck before standing up to look at him in fear.

'_I'm so sorry.' _She thought to him before sprinting off. Charles, with wide eyes, looked around at the other mutants in the room as they ducked and dodged the swords flying around the room. He sighed inwardly as he knelt to talk to Lily…

'_What the…' _Erik thought as his knees slammed into the carpet feeling nauseous as Lily whipped his power around the room. He slowly looked up and surveyed the room, suddenly blind-sided by thoughts that weren't his own.

'_I'mgoingtodie...wehavetogetthegirl...sheisouronlychance...I'mgoingtodierighthere...nomorenomorenomore...Idon'twanttodie!…getthegirlNOW!…Te amo mamá y papá…'_

Erik shook his head and looked up to see Charles drop Angel to the floor before she ran off…_'anywherebuthere'_ She thought, no screamed, in her mind. He slowly looked around the room feeling the fear and panic of the Hellfire Club as the swords worked their way around the room. He caught Charles' eye as he was speaking to Lily, Charles smiled a moment before projecting a thought into Erik's mind.

'_Having fun?' _

'_Whatthehellisgoingon?'_ Erik thought back scrambling his thoughts together. Charles swayed a moment at the force of Erik's thoughts before drawing Lily's attention to Erik. She looked sorry for a moment before drawing her hands down slowly together and breathing deeply. Erik felt everything quiet down, physically and mentally, as he laboured up onto his feet.

'_Gethernow…It'sourchance!…GetherN-' _

Emma, Riptide, and Azazel dropped to the floor as Erik felt the mental awareness of the world leave his body to be replaced with the feeling of secure metal and Earth that he was used to. Charles and Erik both looked at each other a moment before dropping their gazes to Lily. She smiled sweetly up at them as the glow retreated from her eyes turning them purple once more.

"Can we go home now? I want to see Sissy and my brothers. I miss them." She asked in an innocent voice. Charles watched Erik's face carefully, he looked as though there was a raging battle inside him. He could practically feel the confusion, pain, and fear the man was radiating from his mind.

"Sure, Lily-bear, we can go home now." Charles said picking the small girl up. "Before we do though, what did you do to the others?"

"I made them sleep…they won't follow us now." She said clinging to Charles neck.

"Will they wake up?"

"Eventually." She said with an evil smile as Charles sighed.

"When's eventually?" He asked looking at Lily. She pouted a moment before she looked around at the Hellfire Club.

"Five hours…maybe six if the suka doesn't figure out how to wake up first." She said as Charles smiled a little.

"Language Lily-bear…Erik? Are you coming?" He asked turning to the metal-bender. Erik looked at them for a moment before nodding. Charles breathed a sigh of relief as he made their way through the club, shielding Lily's eyes when needed. They got into the back of the car and Charles told the driver to take them to the hotel. Lily, completely exhausted, settled in the middle seat between the two adults. She pulled Erik's arm towards her and put her thumb in her mouth before drifting off to a deep sleep. Charles softly stroaked her hair as he snuck looks at Erik, who was staring out the window.

"If it would be easier, you could just read my mind." Erik said finally after Charles stopped peeking and flat out stared at him.

"No, it wouldn't be easier." Charles said quietly. "I can feel your confusion and pain without reading your mind…Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Well you're going to have to…I need to know and know now. What are you going to do?" Charles said seriously. Erik looked at him before dropping his gaze to Lily. His face read a mixture of uncertainty, pain, fear, and tenderness.

"What do you mean?" Erik asked ignoring the deeper meaning of the question.

"What…are…you…going…to do? Are you going to stay?" Charles asked.

"No…"

"Are you going to leave?"

"_No_…"

"Then what? What are you going to do?" Charles asked trying to get Erik to turn and look at him.

"I don't…" Erik bowed his head before whispering to Lily, "I don't know anymore…I thought I knew what was going on in my life before you showed up! You and blaue Aguen over there screwed me up good."

"Erik?" Charles asked taking his hand.

"She's his child…his bloodline, his…"

"If you _dare_ call her Shaw's daughter, if you _dare_ to try anything against her…I'll make you think you're back in those concentration camps for the rest of your life!" Charles said looking at Erik dangerously. "_You_ are her father, Erik, not Shaw. He didn't even know she was alive and wouldn't have helped her even if he had. She loves _you_, she choose _you_, and you choose her."

Erik looked back out the window as the silence streached out for seemingly ever.

"I'd never hurt her…I wouldn't…I couldn't…" He said finally. Charles looked at him with infinite sadness before sighing a long rush of air.

"I don't believe you." He said, Erik whipped his head around and looked at Charles with a hurt expression.

"Read my mind then."

"No, the mind can lie…even to itself. What will stop you from hurting her? You hate Shaw so completely…what would stop you from unconsciously trying to hurt her? One slip…one hesitance…and she could die…do you want that?"

"NO! She will not get hurt! Not by me or anyone! Do you know how much self-control it took me to not kill Frost and everyone else in that room?" Erik said raising his voice slightly.

"Erik!" Charles said shushing him as Lily began to fuss at the loud noises.

"A lot! And the only reason I didn't was because of her!" Erik continued at a whisper. Charles squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You agree with them though…the Hellfire Club ideals. Mutant superiority and all that." Charles said quietly.

"So?"

"So? Let me tell you something about Frost's picture for the future…She was going to start a revolution with Lily, when she was old enough, and rally all the mutants into a huge war with humans. And when the mutants won…we would win in an out and out battle…she would have sent the humans, men, women, and children, into camps worse then the Nazi's could have ever dreamed up. Humans as target practice, and worse, and Lily, broken and shattered, leading the entire world into a darkness so profound that nothing would survive. That is your 'perfect' future, Erik Lensherr. An enslaved humanity, a destroyed child, and me, dead, because I will not live to see it come to fruition." Charles said with a quiet sadness that pierced Erik to the core.

Charles raised his eyes and Erik could see how badly he had misjudged the young telepath. In a flash he could see the years roll by, each of them on opposite sides of the chess set. Each trying to checkmate but niether really wanting to…each trying to reach the other, only to push away or be left behind.

"Stop the car." Erik said tapping the drivers headrest. They pulled over to the side of the road in the middle of the city. Erik opened his door as he gently extracted himself from Lily's embrace and got out of the car.

"Erik." Charles said pleadingly. Erik turned back to look at the man.

"I lo-..." Erik began before shaking his head and slamming the door shut behind him. Charles watched him walk off before leaning back in his seat. Lily began to fuss a little and he rubbed her back until she settled down.

"Take us to the hotel, Bill." He said as tears silently rolled down his face.

"Will he be needing a ride back?" The driver asked pulling away from the sidewalk.

"I don't know…"

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><p><span>ok by the way there will be another chapter so don't lose hope just yet! ;)<span>


	23. Chapter 23

Well hello again! i know your impatient to read how this pans out so! i just want to thank the reviewers for all the support and all you readers who are absomazing fantestacular people! So with out futher ado! Enjoy!

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><p>Erik walked and walked, never stopping never halting, just walking, mindless walking. He walked until he reached a dark silent park that was devoid of any human life and began pacing along the paths. The trees, sky and stars swirled above his head, the cobbles and dirt occupying his line of sight. He paced and paced, trying to calm his whirling thoughts and tame his own raising panic.<p>

"Damnnit." He finally said collapsing on a bench. It always happened when he got to far away from Lily or, though he would never admit it to anyone, Charles. He began to think that something was going to happen to them, or worse, someone was going to hurt them and Goddamnit he needed to think!

"_Damn _it!" He said emphasizing the curse word loudly. Why? Why him? Why not someone who was actually worth it? Why not someone who wasn't broken by hatred or another person's hands? He wasn't worth it, Charles had to know that, he just wasn't worth it.

"Cursing in public…That's one I've never heard before." A voice said interrupting his self-loathing moment. Erik raised his head to see a beautiful women with dark red hair and green eyes, looking like she was dressed to go to the opera. Erik glared at her a moment before sitting up.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked rubbing his face.

"I'm like you."

"What?"

"I'm a mutant…I can see snips of the future and let me tell you, you are in some serious shit." She said sitting down next to him. Erik stared at her a moment before standing to leave.

"No, sit down I'm not done yet." She said pulling him back.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Well you have to…I normally don't interfer with other's lives or even with grand scale things…but there's a child involved with my vision this time. She loves you very much."

"What's your name?" Erik asked putting his face in his hands.

"I'm not supposed to tell." She said leaning back.

"I see…so what is it? Am I going to die now or later? Oh don't tell me I'm going to fall in love with a beautiful blonde and live happily ever after with her and have thirty children, right?"

"You're already in love, honey. And _he's_ a brunette. No, I came to tell you something else."

"What? Charles is actually Shaw's brother?"

"Who's Shaw? No, I came to tell you…Even shattered things can be remade into something beautiful." She said standing up.

"What?" Erik asked looking up at the women walking away.

"You heard me…Don't waste your life, Erik Lensherr. It's much to precious."

Erik stared after the women in shocked surprise.

"Wait!" He said turning to follow her. She simply turned to smile and wink before pointing to something behind him. He turned to look at a large building on the corner of the block and quickly whipped his head back. She had disappeared into night taking with her a healthy portion of Erik's panic.

"Great." He said rolling his eyes and walking to the large building. He found out the building was a fancy restaurante with a large sumptuous waiting area. The host was dealing with customers when Erik opened the door.

"Sir! I'll be with you in a moment if you'd just wait." The man said motioning for him to sit in one of the chairs. Erik turned to go when something in the corner caught his eye. It was a large grand piano with a note on the bench. He walked over to it and brushed the note to the floor as he sat down at the keys, flexing his fingers to try out a few notes and chords.

Then, slowly and sadly, began to play a heartbreaking Moonlight Sonata. He played and played, each note holding an infinite amount of sadness and exquisite pain. His eyes closed as he played his heart and soul out on the instrument, not stopping, even when he sensed a presence behind him. Suddenly a violin began to softly accompany him, not taking away from the ruin of his music but helping to push the feeling out even more, reminding him that, even here, he was never truly alone.

As he played the final chord there was a silence broken only by the snuffling and sniffing from behind. He turned to see the entire staff and most of their customers standing behind him. An old gentleman, Erik assumed he was the regular piano player, smiled at him gently as he brought his violin down.

"Go on all of you…Go back to your fabulous meals and good jobs. I want to talk to the young man alone." He said to the crowd. The elderly man began putting his violin away as the crowd dispersed.

"I haven't seen or heard anyone play that with such beautiful emotion since…well since a long time." The old man said leading Erik over to large chair before sitting across from him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean…" Erik began as the man shook his head.

"No, no, no…it's quite alright. Sounded like you needed to get something out of your system. Mind if I ask what?" The man asked smiling gently at Erik, who looked down at his calloused hands.

"I…I don't know…what to do anymore. I used to…I had one thing in my mind, one thing and it drove my very existence. Now…" He said shaking his head.

"I see…So who is she?" The man asked kindly. Erik's head snapped up to stare at him. The old man simply put a finger on his nose and winked.

"I can tell, son. You're in love. So, who is she?"

Erik remained silent with a guarded expression on his face.

"Oh…I do see. Who is he then." The man asked placing his hands in his lap.

"It's…both, I guess…it's kind of hard to explain…" Erik began.

"My dear boy, I am eighty-six years old. I have time." The man said paitently.

"She's HIS blood line, HIS…" Erik said standing up to pace along the floor with a pained expression on his face.

"Who…?"

"A child…a wonderful child who deserves so much more then I could possibly offer her! She's…she's _nothing_ like him! _Nothing_! She's good and kind and, and beautiful! My God! She's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! And when he holds her…and I see them together…all I want to do is protect them with _everything_ I am." Erik said pacing furiously as the old man watched.

"Son, love does that to a person. Now sit back down here and I'll tell you something. It might not help but it's worth a shot,eh?" He said pulling the young man back to his seat. Erik sat, looking up at the man with a helpless expression on his face.

"The only thing, throughout my long life, that I regret more than anything is not telling the person I loved how much I cared about him." The man began looking Erik straight in the eye.

"We lived together for the longest time. He was one of the best people I had ever met and was a damn fine lover, but…I could never just…tell him how much I loved him. Oh he knew, of course, but I just couldn't _tell_ him. I kept saying, 'Tomorrow, I'll tell him tomorrow.' Well tomorrow never came…but the Nazi's did. We lived in Berlin at the time and when they broke down our door…" The man's eyes moved off to the distance at the never-forgotten memory. "I never saw him again…he died…somewhere, I don't know. But he was the only person I ever truly cared about, the only person I ever _really _loved."

Erik watched the old man's face with a mixture of pity and sadness as the man looked back at him with tears of hope in his eyes.

"Don't make my mistake, son. Tell them and tell them now because you might never get another chance. I didn't take mine…and now I'll never get another."

Erik suddenly stood up and walked quickly out of the restaurant shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Sir? Do you…have strange abilities?" Erik asked as he paused by the door.

"Nope, just what God gave me…a talent for music and a fine restaurant to run. Why?" The man asked.

"No reason." Erik said before walking off into the night. The old man smiled softly as he wiped his tears away, walked to the piano and to begin playing Für Elise.

The next morning, Charles woke up from an unusually deep slumber trying to remember where he was. He looked around as he dragged his eyes open before it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was in a hotel in the heart of London and Erik was probably never going to come back. He buried his head in the pillow trying not to cry again. After he had brought Lily back to the hotel and put her to bed, he'd spent the better part of the night sitting in the living room crying his eyes out. He couldn't remember going to bed, in fact, he thought sitting up in the large bed. He distinctly remembered falling asleep in the chair in the living room. Suddenly he looked over to the space beside him, and saw a small imprint in the sheets, but no Lily.

"Shit!" He said throwing the covers off his body and falling out of the bed. She wasn't anywhere in the room or anywhere on the same floor. He tried to quell his raising panic as he pulled on clothes and hurried out, not noticing a black leather jacket thrown over a chair near the door.

As he ran out of the elevator into the lobby of the hotel he heard a child's laughter, his child's laughter, coming from the direction of the lounge. He walked into the room and stopped in his tracks when he saw Erik holding Lily in his lap as he sat at a large piano.

"I'll play the chords and you play what I just taught you, ok?" He said to the little girl in his arms. She nodded vigorously and placed his hands on the keys. Erik laughed as he began playing the opening to Heart and Soul on the piano. Charles' jaw dropped to the floor as Lily joined in, but he didn't care. After playing the piece twice Lily looked around and saw Charles standing at the door. She stopped playing, wiggled out of Erik's lap, and ran to him, dragging him towards the piano and plunking him next to Erik.

"Play!" She said with an innocent smile at the two men. They both looked at each other before attacking the piano with Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, Erik playing the left hand, Charles the right while Lily clapped her hands and squealed with eyes wide in delight. Neither looked at the other until the last chord faded from the air. Charles looked at Erik with wonder and slight hope. Erik simply looked at Charles with unreadable eyes as they both breathed heavily.

"Lily, close your eyes." Erik said. Lily put her hands to her face covering her eyes completely.

"Why…?" Charles asked as Erik drew the other man towards him.

"Because I love her…and you." He said kissing the telepath long and passionately.

"Hehe!" Lily giggled as she peeked around her fingers.


	24. Chapter 24

Hello! Me again! i know i know shut up and get to the story but i do have some stuff to say...first off i LOVE my readers and reviewers! You are all amazing! Secondly the story isn't over yet _something_ or _someone_ might find a need to try to _get_ someone else...not much but i don't do spoilers...often...anyways! It's an honor and a duty to give you another chapter! An honor because you are all wonderful people! A duty because i will explode if i didn't write all this out. so without any more interuptions...No Sean! Put your hand down! Please, Enjoy!

Ps Translation is Aphrodite herself cannot compare to your beauty. 

Now i'm done! Enjoy! 

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><p><strong>Several Months Later<strong>

"Mummy!"

"Stop figeting Lily-bear! I just want to fix this ruffle." Charles said through a mouthful of pins as he smoothed the white lace and pinned it to the dress. Lily stood still, reluctantly, and looked around the room. It was bright and cheery with just a hint of the hated color yellow. The dress shop was the fifth stop Charles had made in town, the owners were old friends of his and Raven's, the rest of the guys in the group had long ago lost interest and had left the other three to their own devices.

"Don't you love it Charles?" Raven asked twirling out of the changing room in a long flowing white dress. Her long red hair swirled around her blue shoulders and bare back as she spun around. The owners had initially balked at Raven's unusual appearance but soon came to appreciate her unique abilities. They had given her, her first job as a model for all the clothes and a live dress mannequin.

"Aphrodite elle-même ne peut pas comparer à votre beauté." Charles said looking up at his little sister.

"Sweet-talker…is she ready?" Raven asked looking at Lily, who was admiring herself in the mirror. The little girl had on a ruffly white dress similar to hers. Raven went and stood behind the small child and smiled at her.

"What do you think?" She asked as Lily twirled around.

"Pretty!" Lily replied before pointing at Raven. "You're prettier."

"Oh really?" Raven said picking up the little girl and tickling her until she squeeled in laughter.

"Stop! Stop!" She cried giggling loudly.

"Attack!" Charles said pulling Lily's shoes off and attacking her feet.

"No! Not fair!" Lily said trying to get away.

"En garde, you saboteurs!" Sean said coming to the shop with Alex, Hank, and Erik. He grabbed a roll of satin fabric and began brandishing it at Raven, poking her in the side until she put Lily down to grab a roll of velvet and began sword fighting with him.

"Take that! And that!" She cried thrusting and stabbing at Sean.

"Help! Help! Alex to your battle station!" He shouted as Raven slapped the roll of fabric away and advanced on him.

"You're on your own with her, Sean." Alex said sitting down next to several dress mannequins.

"You're no fun!" Sean said as Raven forced him to his knees.

"And you left me to my ichy chicken pox! Pay back's a bitch." He said laughing as she forced Sean to pick up all the fabric and other dresses she'd tried on.

"Alex!" Charles scolded pointing to Lily.

"It's not like she doesn't know the words already, Mom." Alex said rolling his eyes.

"We aren't encouraging her to start swearing, Alex. We get enough of that between all you boys." Charles said sweeping a look across the room. Erik was looking at red and purple fabrics and if Charles concentrated he could see a type of cape being formed in his partner's mind.

'_Care to share with the rest of the class?'_ He thought to Erik who smiled and held it up.

"For Halloween, what do you think? I could dress up like that one character from the Merry Mutants, Magnetic." He said with a laugh.

"Oh yes and I could get a wheelchair and be Professor W." Charles said sarcastically. "And Alex could be Chaos, Hank could be Monster, Sean could get a dress and be Banshee, and Raven could change her hair to black and be Mystery Girl! I think not."

"Come on Charles, lighten up! It might be fun." Erik said walking over to the telepath and throwing and arm around his shoulders.

"_No_." He said crossing his arms.

"Please?"

"_No."_

"Pretty please?"

"_No."_

"Mummy, can we do it? _Pleeeeeaaaase_?" Lily begged batting her eyes at Charles who uncrossed his arms and melted at her puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, but we need to get going…we'll come back tomorrow ok?" He said with a sigh turning to get the kids to help with the bags. Erik winked at Lily and gave her a little bakery bag with a chocolate chip cookie in it.

"Good girl…" He said before turning to help Charles.

"Push over." Sean whispered to Alex.

"Seanie can you hold this for me?" Lily asked handing Sean a small bag with a necklace in it as she batted her eyes at him.

"Sure." He said adding it to his already overloaded armful of bags.

"You were saying?" Alex said laughing as they followed Erik out of the store.

Soon everyone was laden down with bags and groceries as they made their way to the big station wagon parked on the side of the street. They loaded all the bags into the trunk and backseats before piling in and heading off to the post office. They pulled up to the building, everyone literally falling out, as Erik parked the car. Raven changed her skin and eyes but kept her long red hair. Hank put on a hat and pressed a button on his watch turning his fur to skin.

"Alright, no destroying anything. Got it?" Erik said in a warning voice. "We're just going in to get the mail and some stamps. Right Charles?"

"Kids, listen to your father." Charles said rummaging in a bag for mail that needed to be sent out. Erik rolled his eyes and started walking into the building with everyone else.

"Wait up!" Charles said running after them with multiple packages in his arms. Three hours later…

"Will this fucking line ever _move_?" Sean grumbled to Alex who was eyeing the bathroom with increased intrest.

"Sean!" Charles said for the third time. "Stop swearing or I'll make you, understand?"

"I don't see you threatening Alex…" Sean said under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Charles said turning to Sean.

"I-I said I didn't know they let puppies in the building." He said quickly pointing at a women holding a dog in her arms along with a large package.

"I have to go to the bathroom…" Alex said looking intensely at the door .

"Go…" Charles said sighing and shaking his head. They'd been stuck in the middle of a Friday afternoon rush. It seemed like as soon as they had pulled up, everyone and their brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, and extended family members needed to get their package out _right that minute._

"Charles maybe we should just wait until tomorrow…" Erik said looking nervously around. He'd been on edge since people had started to pack closely into the small waiting area. Charles put a comforting hand on Erik's shoulder.

"No, I need to get this stuff out today. Here, why don't you take everyone outside and wait there?" Charles said juggling the three packages in his arms to hand Erik the letterbox key.

"If you're sure…" Erik said taking it.

"Yeah there's no reason all of have to wait…you could even take them all home and come back for me if you want. They just ran out of stamps at the front desk." He replied hiking the bundles up in his arms. Everyone around him groaned as the lady at the front desk said they would all have to wait until they could pull out more stamps.

"I'll be back." Erik said tapping Hank on the shoulder and motioning everyone to follow him. They all left Charles there to deal with everything as they got the mail and piled into the car again. An hour later, Erik pulled back up to the post office to see Charles sitting on the curb looking over a piece of paper. He looked completely absorbed as, slowly but surely, a crease began to form between his eyebrows before he folded the letter up and walked to the car.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked pulling out of the parking lot, heading back home.

"What? Oh, nothing…um, Lily's grandmother died…" He said looking out of sorts.

"That's…sad…her mother's mother?" Erik asked with a confused look.

"Yeah…she says she wants to come see Lily. In a couple days she'll be in New York and…she says she wants to drive up to see her." Charles replied looking out the window.

"Oh…" Erik watched the road as they drove in silence back to the mansion. "What's wrong Charles…you look awful."

"She's…she's Lily's biological mother…she couldn't acknowledge that because her mother, Lily's grandmother, would have disowned her and thrown her out of society and her home. Now Lily's grandmother is dead…" Charles said letting the sentence drift off as Erik parked the car.

"What, you think she's going to want her back? Her daughter…the mutant?" Erik said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…"

"You did tell her Lily was a mutant…right?"

"_Well_…"

"Charles!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't think the women would die so soon! And…even if I had told her she wouldn't have believed me!"

"Charles! You…" Erik said putting his hands on his face. "If she wants to take her back…we can't keep her. And now…if she won't take her back _because _Lily's a mutant, we can't shield her from that!"

"I know." Charles said sadly getting out of the car. "But there's just one thing I don't understand…"

"What?" Erik said following him inot the house.

"Julia's mother has been dead for almost two years…why now?"

"Maybe she needed to wait for the will to come through."

"No, I looked into it…the will was read three days after the death. Julia recived everything from her mother, all the money…controlling stocks in multiple companies, everything. She's even on the board of directors in one of my families companies. I don't get it…something's up." Charles said walking in on Sean and Alex arm wrestling on the chess board in the library. Both kids looked at him for a moment before standing up.

"Uh…We can explain." Alex started.

"We…um…" Sean tried.

"I'd love to hear the one about a gaint fish and…Raven getting stuck on the roof. Is she ok?" Charles said looking at the two boys sharply.

"Yeah she's fine…" Alex said smirking.

"We'll go get her down." Sean added as they walked out the door and hurried outside.

"Yes, you go…WHAT! You'd better get her down! SEAN!" Charles yelled after the boys as they made a break for it. "I swear those kids are going to kill me!"

"I bet…" Erik said flopping onto the couch.

"You too!" Charles said sitting behind his desk. "Go break their legs for me will you?"

"Sure thing mommy." Erik said proceding to gather all the kids together for an intense four hour long training session. When he got back inside, curses being rained down on his head and soul, Charles was still sitting at his desk shaking his head as he read a letter from a large pile next to him. He'd taken off his suit jacket and vest, unbuttoning his shirt a little as he ran his fingers roughly through his hair.

"Damn." Charles said sitting back and stretching. Erik watched him silently a moment before speaking.

"I broke their legs for you. I sincerely believe they aren't going to be walking properly for a couple days at least. What have you been doing?" He said leaning on the desk.

"Anything, everything…I've been looking at all the corrospondence between myself and Julia…she's never expressed a desire to want her back…or even that she wants to see her…she even sent me a letter saying she couldn't take Lily back because her mother wasn't allowing her to…it makes no sense." Charles replied shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.

"Well come on…Raven's making dinner." Erik said pulling Charles up and giving him a hard hug.

"Again? She's been cooking for the past three weeks."

"I think she's trying to teach Lily…Ever since we got back from London that's all she can talk about…by the way did you get the I.Q test results back?" Erik replied as they walked out of the library towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, her score was 164. High level genius." Charles said shaking his head. "You'd never be able to tell…"

"I think it's those books Hank, Alex, Sean, and Raven read her. With the exception of Hank none of them has any idea what they're talking about." Erik said as Charles' laughter rang out through the house.


	25. Chapter 25

Hi! Another chapter another day...**Warning** on this one because there's mentions of sex...and certain magazines...Love all the reviews and all you readers! Please, Enjoy!

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><p>Alex and Sean ran through the mansion's front door, up the stairs and barged into Hank's room.<p>

"Did you get them?" He asked excitedly.

"You bet your furry blue butt we did!" Alex said pushing a black plastic wrapped package into his hands. "One for each and a spare!"

"Awesome!" Hank said as they all tore off the plastic to reveal a Playboy magazine cover. "The I.D's worked?"

"Perfectly, they didn't suspect a thing…" Sean said opening his to the centerfold.

"Niiiiice." They all chorused together.

Down in the library Charles and Erik were sitting enjoying a drink and a game of chess as a nice close to the days events.

"It's quiet." Charles commented as he moved his pawn forward.

"Yep." Erik replied moving his rook forward to capture Charles' knight. They played again for a few minutes in silence.

"Kind of nice." Charles commented again as Erik took his bishop.

"Yep."

Charles made his move and looked up to the ceiling with a raised eyebrow.

"You think we should go see if they're all still alive?" He said shaking his head.

"Yep." Erik replied taking Charles queen before standing up. The two men walked out of the library towards the stairs when Erik noticed Lily sitting on the floor, amidst several strips of black plastic, looking at something spread out in front of her. She kept turning it over and cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"What do you have there, mien Kleine?" He asked walking over to her. Lily looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"Vati…Mummy doesn't look anything like this…Does he?" She asked pointing at the centerfold of the Playboy. Erik's eyebrow's shot up almost to his hairline as his eyes stretched out as far as they would go.

"Erik? What's…" Charles asked walking up behind him. His jaw dropped when Lily lifted the pages and held them up to Charles silhouette.

"No…she looks more like Raven…or Angel…What?" She asked looking up at her dumbstruck parents.

"I…Uh…" Sean said holding a glass at the top of the stairs. Charles and Erik both whipped their heads over to look at him with murder in their eyes.

"I…Oh, shit…" Sean said as he sprinted off into the upstairs. Erik looked at his watch, counting the seconds, as Charles took the magazine from Lily.

"One minute's head start…I believe it is your turn this time, Charles." he said as the telepath walked up the stairs tapping the rolled up Playboy against his leg.

Sean knocked on Raven's door repeatedly until she opened the door looking extremely irate.

"What do you want?" She said tugging her bathrobe around her body.

"I need to hide, help me!" He said looking nervous.

"Why? What did you do now?"

"I…well…"

"Sean! Alex! Hank! Come out now!" Charles called out.

"I accidentally dropped a Playboy magazine in the front hall and Lily found it and opened it!" Sean said hurridly trying to force his way into her room. She threw him out onto the floor and smirked.

"Then I hope your death is slow and painful…" She said slamming her door shut.

"Come on! There were some interesting articles!" He shouted after her before jumping up and running farther away. "Women!"

"Men are such pigs." Raven said shaking her head as there was another knock on her door. "Yes?"

"It's Charles."

"Yes?" She asked opening the door.

"Which way?" He asked tapping the rolled up magazine with his hand.

"Right then a left. Third door on the…right. I think." She said pointing.

"Thanks sis…and by the way not all men are pigs…they're just teenagers." Charles said with a small smile. Raven rolled her eyes and shut her door as he ran off to find the three boys.

Erik shook his head and rubbed his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Vati?…Vati what's sex?" Lily asked tugging on his pant leg. Erik looked down on his small daughter and made a brief wish that Charles would turn Sean into a babbling idiot as he picked her up.

"It's…um…It's kind of hard to explain…" He said walking into the library and sitting on the couch.

"Does it involve kissing?" She asked looking him in the eye. Erik was sure that if he'd been given a choice between shooting himself or answering any more of Lily's question's, he'd rather shoot himself.

"Some…times?" He said steeling himself for another question.

"Oh…then I don't wanna know." She said laying her head down on his shoulder. Erik sent several prayers of thanks up to whatever god or goddess had saved him and looked at the unfinished chess game.

"What's that?" Lily asked pointing to the board.

"It's a game…would you like to play?" He asked as she lifted her head up.

"Nah. Mummy said he'd teach me…will you read me a story?" She asked as a book floated down from one of the top shelves. Erik plucked it out of the air and looked at the title.

"The Grim Brother's Collection of Children's Fairytales: Vol. 1" He read before opening it to the first tale. "Cinderella…Once upon a time there was girl who loved her father very much…"

He had read through most of the stories before noticing Charles leaning against the doorframe. Erik raised his eyebrow as Charlres snapped his fingers and pointed into the room. The three boys all filed in to stand in front of Erik, looking _very_ sorry for themselves.

"Lily…go find Raven and ask her to read you the rest of these ok?" He said giving Lily the book and gently nudging her off the couch. She ran out of the room as the boys watched and Charles shut the library door.

"Speak." Erik said to Alex, leaning forward to look him in the eye.

"It was Sean's idea!" He said pointing to his right.

"It was not!"

"Was too! You said we wouldn't get caught!" Hank hissed under his breath.

"Sean…" Erik said sternly.

"It wasn't my entire idea! Hank made the fake I.D's!" Sean whined.

"Alex you have your own I.D…"Charles said in confusion.

"Yeah the one that also says I'm a convicted felon." Alex said looking upset.

"Look, I don't care about the fake I.D's or the magazines…what I do care about is Lily finding them." Erik said holding up his hand for silence and looking each boy in the eye.

"So you're not mad at us?" Hank asked timidly. Erik rolled his eyes at the young men.

"No…" He said shaking his head. "But you are going to be punished…you shouldn't leave those lying around for anyone to see…besides Raven going on a rampage, Charles and I don't want Lily to see them, got it?"

The boys all nodded gravely and, standing up a little straighter, prepared to have all their privileges revoked for the rest of the world.

"Tomorrow, Charles and I are going into town, so you _all_ get to baby-sit Lily and then the next day your going to take Raven wherever she wants to go…Don't groan, you all know you deserve it." Erik said.

"Now go on, and remember, we don't want to see these around here again." Charles said tossing the magazine at Sean and moving away from the door as the boys all ran back upstairs.

"What a nightmare." Erik said sitting back in his seat and looking at the ceiling.

"Nah…could have been worse." Charles said flopping down next to Erik and throwing his legs over his lap.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…they could have been in the liquor cabinet again."

"_No_…they know what will happen if they try _that_ again." Erik said looking over at the telepath. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Charles went to sit across from the metal-bender so they could finish their chess game.

"So! What are we doing tomorrow?" He asked moving his rook forward three spaces.

"I haven't figured that part out yet…I was hoping you might have some ideas." Erik said contemplating his next move.

"We could go shopping and buy you something that isn't black." Charles supplied watching the other man wince as he placed his knight across from a pawn.

"You wound me, Charles, I thought you liked my fashion sense." He said looking up at the telepath with a hurt look.

"Ha! Well, you are classy I have to admit. Turtlenecks and trousers…not a bad combination…"

"What about you? Suits or a cardigan? Maybe I should take _you _shopping…get you something that isn't so…collage-bound." Erik said watching as Charles put his king in check.

"I was under the impression you liked my bookish appearance…what was it you said last night? I make reading look sexy?" Charles said as Erik moved his king.

"No…I said you make books look appealing." Erik countered glancing up at Charles' smirking face.

"Same same. Checkmate." He said standing up to stretch his arms up. Erik leaned back and smiled as he appreciated the nice view. Charles simply smiled back and walked over to the door and held it out as he made as small bow.

'_Shall we go put Lily to bed and then adjourn to my room?'_ Charles thought sultrily at Erik.

"Well…I don't know…I might have other plans." Erik said with a tragic sigh. Charles looked at him in slight confusion and disappointment.

"You see there's this telepath who just loves to get jokes pulled on him because he never checks to see if I'm yanking his chain." Erik said with a sweet smile that looked more dangerous then anything.

"Well you can yank my chain all you want later…come on." Charles said with a smile, pulling Erik up on his feet and pushing him out the door, slamming it behind him.


	26. Chapter 26

Hihi! not my favorite chapter by a long shot...Thanks for all the reviews and all you readers! No translations this time but as always...Enjoy!

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><p>"Stop fidgeting Lily-Bear!" Charles said as he straightened the big red bow in her long black-gold hair.<p>

"Charles, you've done everything but dust her with gold…" Erik said walking into the room with a black suit jacket for Charles.

"Can we do that?" Charles asked seriously looking up at the tall dark mutant. Erik laughed and swept Lily up into his arms, rescuing her from Charles' fluttering.

"What? I want her to make a good impression on Julia…" Charles grumbled as he fixed his cuffs and put his jacket on.

'_Mummy's being a fussbudget.'_ Lily thought, sticking her tongue out at Erik. He stuck his tongue out at her then flinched when she licked his nose.

"Nyah! Go mess with Alex!" Erik said putting her on the ground and patting her bottom as she ran out of the room.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Charles, fixing his collar and dusting himself off.

"Yes…I still think you should have told Julia about Lily's mutation." Erik replied giving Charles a look.

"She wouldn't have believed me…even if I could have found the right words. 'Dear Julia, by the way your daughter also has the potential to become one of the strongest telekinetic telepaths in the world. What is that may you ask? A death sentence.' She wouldn't have even come here if I'd had written that." Charles said angrily. Erik rolled his eyes and caught him by the arm before he could leave.

"You wouldn't have written that and she may have come thinking we were all insane, but at least she would be prepared." Erik said with a hard look. "I want her to love Lily just the way she is, but we both know that probably won't happen."

"Oh so now you can see the future?" Charles said pulling his arm away from Erik and walking out of the room.

"No…but I do know someone…" Erik said quietly watching him go.

Everyone waited in the living room, on edge, for Julia's arrival. Alex, Raven and Hank were having a heated discussion about Visible versus Invisible mutations, Charles was teaching Lily how to play chess properly with Erik helping her, and Sean was wearing a hole in the floor with his incessant pacing.

"She should have been here by now. She must be two hours late!" Sean said biting his nails. Erik looked over at him in slight annoyance and tossed a book at the nervous boy.

"She said she'd be here at one, it is now…twelve forty-five, sit down and read something. You're wearing a hole in the floor." He said returning to the chess game.

Fifteen minutes later the door-bell rang and everyone went silent as Charles stood up to answer the door. He opened it to reveal a young dark-haired women with huge purple eyes, standing on the front step, wearing a well-made tailored dress suit and holding a briefcase. She looked very business like and professional as she stared at Charles with piercing eyes.

"Miss. Vanderhousen, I'm glad you could make it." Charles said with a disarming smile at the beautiful women. She merely looked at him with cynicism before walking into the house. She looked around for a moment before resting her eyes on the gathered mutants.

"If you would please come this way…" Charles said putting a hand on her back, trying to direct her towards the library.

"No, I think not." She said her voice filled with detachment as she stared at each person critically. "Here is as good as anyplace. Which one is she?"

Erik narrowed his eyes and pulled Lily into his lap as she put her arms around his arm.

"She's with Erik at the moment…would you like a…closer look?" Charles asked with slight confusion.

"Yes…Come here child." Julia said putting her briefcase down and placing her hands on her hips. Lily slowly wiggled down from Erik's lap and walked silently over to the cold woman. She looked up at her with dislike and anger on her face.

"Hold out your arms and turn." Julia instructed as Erik's face became more and more agitated. Lily did as she was told but looked more and more angry as she did.

"Now…Read my mind…" Julia said, shocking everyone in the room. She looked around with a faint smile on her lips as Lily crossed her arms.

"Yes I know all about you…and you Professor X." She said with a cruel smile. "Do as I say girl!"

"No." Lily said calmly.

"Excuse me?"

"No."

"Would you like to change your answer?" Julia said dangerously.

"No."

"Why you…Fine, get her things we are leaving." Julia said to Charles. Erik stood up as the rest of the kids gasped and began protesting.

"You can't take her! She's our little sister…You can't have her." They all said as Erik picked her up in his arms.

"Shut up!" Julia snapped at them. "I can and will take her. Legally she's mine and I can do what ever I want…So I'm going to take her."

"No." Lily said again, putting her arms around Erik's neck and leaning her head on his shoulder. Julia looked at her with annoyance a moment before turning to Charles again.

"Get her things, I'm taking her." She said. Charles frowned and put his fingers to his temple looking even more confused.

"No, you're not…you're trying to scare her…why do you want her to read your mind?" Charles said removing his fingers as Julia began to look frightened.

"None of your business, Xavier." She said finally raising an eyebrow attempting to regain the upper hand.

"Oh I think it is…you have adoption papers in the briefcase and you seem…terrified of all of us…Why are you really here, Julia?" Charles asked motioning Erik to sit back down as he took a seat himself and put his finger tips together. Julia's terror came fully out as everyone relaxed and looked at her like predators would their prey.

"I-I…I was told to come…" She stammered.

"By?" Charles asked never taking his eyes off of her.

"I-I was told b-by…um…a man…"

"Liar."

"B-by a w-woman…"

"Who?" Erik asked dangerously.

"I-I don't know her name…" Julia said looking at Erik and shaking.

"Erik…let me." Charles said standing again and advancing toward Julia. She backed up a step while Charles smiled reassuringly at her and held his hands on either side of her head.

"Just relax…I'm not…"

"Wait Mummy." Lily said jumping out of Erik's arms and walking up to them. "Let me."

"Are you sure?" Charles asked glancing down at her small form.

"Uh huh." She said as Charles picked her up and held her up to Julia's face. Lily put her hands on the women's shoulders and took a deep breath.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but if you struggle against the intrusion I won't be able to help what happens." She said putting her forehead to Julia's.

'_Iwantyouformyself…no you don't…yesIdo…no, you really don't…IcouldtakeyouifIwanted…I'd like to see you try. What did you want me to see?…Theyknowaboutallthis…Who's they?…Amanlookingformutants…You want to protect me?…No, I can see you just don't want me to die…that'snottrue…Don't lie to me, you owe me…Icouldn'tkeepyou…You didn't try…Icouldn'tgoagainstmymother…You could have, you didn't want to…NoIdidn't…Then why now…Then tell them that…I'mafraidofthem…You should be…'_

Lily opened her eyes and stared into Julia's with a hardness in them that hadn't been there before. Julia's eyes shined with tears as she pulled Lily into her arms and held her there for a moment. Lily laid her head on Julia's shoulder a moment before pushing away from her and reaching out to Charles. He took her from Julia and passed her over to Erik.

"I really…I guess there really isn't an excuse for what I'm doing, is there?" She said wiping her eyes as she looked at Charles shaking his head. "This is a school for mutants?"

"For gifted youngsters…and it will be." Erik said softening his look at Lily's request. Julia nodded and pulled several sheets of paper from her briefcase along with a pen.

"Sign this one, this one, initial this." She said handing the papers to Charles first. He signed them with an angry flourish before handing them back to Erik. Julia looked at them for a moment before comprehension dawned on her face.

"Oh…I see, and the rest of you are ok with this?" She asked the others. They stared at her like she had two heads before Alex took a breath.

"The rest of the world hates and fears us and you're asking if we care that two men _love _each other?" He asked looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Stupid question?" She asked with small smile.

"You think?" Raven said with a laugh. Charles handed the pen back to Julia and moved to show her the door.

"She told me to tell you that they were coming…and that nothing lasts forever." She said before leaving the room.

"Who?" Erik asked with a hint of fear in his voice.

"A women…with red hair and green eyes. She was the one who told me to come find you...She frightened me a hell of a lot more then you do. No offense." She said sadly before she walked out of the mansion to never be seen again by any of the mutants in the room.

"Well that was a disaster." Charles said as he came back into the room, flopping down into a chair and pulling his tie and collar open.

"Could have been worse." Erik said looking at one of the adoption papers closely.

"Yeah she could have taken Lily away." Sean said watching Lily put the chess board back together.

"Charles…did you know Lily doesn't have a proper name?" Erik asked handing the paper to him. Charles looked at it for a moment before handing it back.

"And?"

"We could name her." Erik said picking up a pen and looking at the telepath. Charles looked thoughtful for a moment before holding out his hand for the pen and paper. He wrote something down after a moment and handed it back before walking out of the room.

"What did he write?" Raven asked coming over to look.

"Lily Edie Sharon Xavier Lensherr." Erik said looking at the small girl who had finished setting the chess board up.

"Wanna play?" she asked with a smile.


	27. Chapter 27

Hello my rabid readers! ugh too much like rita skeeter...but hello! it's going to be a good chapter! so without further preamble...please, Enjoy!

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><p>"Mummy?…Mummy?" Lily asked shaking Charles' pant leg urgently.<p>

"Lily? What's wrong, honey?" He asked kneeling down to check her over for injuries. "Are you hurt? What is it?"

"Someone's coming." She said looking frightened and sad as Charles picked her up. "She doesn't have good news."

"Lily what's wrong? You've been unusually quiet and melancholy for the past few days. Is it because of your mother's visit?" He asked looking at her concernedly.

"You're my Mummy." She said burying her face in Charles neck. He held her gently as he looked out a window in concern and saw Moira walking up the steps.

DING-DONG! Erik answered the front door and almost closed it when he saw it was Moira.

"Wait!" She said breathlessly, falling forward into his arms. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Erik. I had no choice."

Moira fainted in his arms as he looked up at Charles walking down the stairs with Lily.

"Bring her upstairs." He said setting Lily down.

"What did she tell you?" Erik asked as Charles closed the door of the guest room. He just shook his head and motioned Erik into their bedroom. Erik closed the door behind them and was turning to look at him when Charles grabbed him, shoving him against the door and kissing him desperately.

"Charles…What…" Erik said as he was pulled towards the bed, unresisting in his surprise.

"Please…just once more…" Charles said desperately as he pulled off Erik's shirt.

"Charles!…What's wrong?" Erik said rolling over to pin Charles underneath him. He was shocked to see the tears in his lovers eyes as he reached his hands up to Erik's shoulders.

"They know." He whispered.

"No…not…" Erik said looking down at the telepath with wide eyes.

"She had to tell them…they were going to treat her like a communist if she didn't." Charles said sitting up as Erik rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You should have wiped her memory." He said putting his head in his hands. Charles crawled over and put his arms around Erik's shoulders, leaning against his head against his wide shoulders.

"How long?" Erik asked raising his head.

"I don't know…she got here as fast as she could but I doubt it was fast enough. That's not even the worst part…" Charles said kissing Erik's shoulder.

"What's the worst part?" He asked with a short humorless laugh.

"The Hellfire Club is right behind them."

"Hoping to get Lily, right?" Erik said shaking his head. Charles moved in front of Erik and knelt down.

"Yes…and no." Charles replied taking Erik's hands and looking up at him with sad eyes. "They're looking for a leader…not necessarily Lily."

"You?" Erik asked with a raised eyebrow. Charles wordlessly shook his head as he stared at him.

"Me? No! I couldn't…they're murders of their own kind!" Erik said.

"Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" A women's voice said from the open window. Erik and Charles sprang apart and assumed defensive positions. The red headed women Erik had met in London climbed calmly through the window and dropped to the floor, shutting and locking it behind her.

"Who are you?" Charles asked, fingers on his temple. The women simply smiled and tapped her forehead.

"Go ahead. Try it." She said. Charles concentrated a moment then looked confused as he turned to Erik.

"I can't read her…It's like there's just white nose in her head." He said in surprise.

"Another gift?" Erik asked lowering his hands.

"As it so happens…I'm here to warn you." She said seriously.

"We already know the Hellfire Club and the CIA are coming." Charles said as the women shook her head.

"No, this is a little more personal…Someone is going to die…and someone is going to get hurt. And you're not going to be able to stop any of it happening, Erik." She said looking from Charles to him.

"Lily…" Erik said as Charles put his arms around Erik.

"I can't say…" She said dropping her gaze.

"Says who?" Erik asked angrily.

"Say those who are much more powerful then either you or I." She said snapping her gaze back to Erik's. "And if I cross their boundaries I will lose my powers and my memories…I'm sorry, but that's all I can do. I can't help you."

She moved back to the window, unlatching and opening it, as Erik took a step forward.

"Give us your name at least…you didn't last time…please." He said pleadingly.

"The only name I can give is Memoria…do not abuse it. We will meet again someday…although we will not be the same." She said before leaping out of the window. Erik and Charles rush over to look at the barren ground two stories down from their room.

"How did she do that?" Charles asked staring at the empty Earth.

"She has strange powers. Come on…we have to warn the others." Erik said locating his shirt.

"You said…'Last time'…what did you mean?" Charles asked curiously.

"I met her in London…when I had to decide if I was coming back or not…she told me she could see the future…"

"And you believed her?" Charles asked raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah…She knew…well she knew something that only I know."

"I know the same things, Erik." Charles said putting a hand to Erik's arm. Erik turned and looked at Charles with tormented eyes.

"No…You don't." He said before walking out of the room.

The women watched from her perch on a tall tree as non-descript black sedans pulled up to the mansions gates and attempted to get through. She closed her eyes as two tears rolled down her face and jumped down from her spot, landing in front of two suits.

"Turn back…please." She said looking at them with dark, ageless eyes. They looked at her a moment before pulling out guns and pointing them at her.

"Please…leave them in peace." She said once more, falling to her knees. The gesture looked anything but submissive as her eyes turned from dark green to a deep merciless black.

"I don't know who you are lady but your under arrest." One of the suits said.

"Who am I?" She whispered. "I'm the stuff of nightmares…"

A dark shadow erupted from her body as the men opened fire on her figure. The gate broke and she disappeared from view, falling into the Earth with a small sad smile.

"What the hell was that?" One of the men asked.

"A mutant." Colonel William Stryker said walking forward. "Tear the place apart."

"EVERYONE! GET UP NOW!" Erik shouted as he felt the gun fire explode across his power. Raven pulled open her door, blue, and looking ready for a fight. Hank ran up from the lab, yanking off his white coat and loosening his tie. Sean helped Alex into his focusing device before pulling on his 'wings'. Everyone converged in the library as Charles and Erik arrived pulling on the suits Hank had made for them.

"We have intruders…Moira told the CIA our location and what we've been up to. They're at the gate along with the Hellfire Club…now we need a battle plan…Havok and Banshee, up on the roof, you can dive bomb the forces from there. Mystique, Beast, you're both going to go through the secret passages and come up from behind. Your goal is to disable their cars and weapons from the inside. Everyone got it?" Erik said like a drill sergeant. Everyone nodded gravely and moved to go to their assigned places.

"Vati? What about me?" Lily asked causing everyone to stop and stare at her.

"Erik…she could be…" Raven started as Erik glared at her.

"No…she's a child…Lily go downstairs into the bunker. Everything you need is down there and don't come out unless Charles or I contact you mentally, ok?" Erik told the little girl as she nodded gravely and ran down to Cerebro. Raven looked at Erik a moment before Hank pulled her away. Alex and Sean ran up to the roof and waited for the first cars to come.

"Erik…I don't like this." Charles said putting his fingers to his temple. "I can't see them…Frost's blocking their thoughts from me."

"Working with humans…" Erik said shaking his head.

"Erik, it's not our business who they work with…"

"It's just hypocritical…they claim to want mutant superiority but then they do this." Erik said disgustedly.

"Like I said…they're looking for a leader." Charles said concentrating harder on the humans as they pulled up to the mansion.

"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! WE DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!" Stryker said into a megaphone as more and more cars and tanks rolled up to the mansion.

"Right…and what part of that pile of shit are we supposed to believe?" Sean yelled down to the gathering soldiers.

"COME ON DOWN SON…THIS ISN'T YOUR FIGHT!" Stryker said as he motioned for all guns to be pointed up to the roof.

"This is my home!" He said before sending a screech down, causing the bullet's in the guns to shatter and explode. Alex stood up on the edge of the roof with Sean holding on behind him.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked Banshee looking nervous.

"Absolutely…not." Sean said throwing himself and Alex over the edge as he screamed, bearing them both aloft. Alex let his power loose on the tanks and other cars, as the soldiers and suits ran for cover.

"That was awesome!" Alex said as Sean deposited him back on the roof.

"Hell yeah!" Sean said smiling.

"They're doing well." Charles said looking at Erik, who was watching from the window.

"Yes they are…" He said looking over at Charles as a tank exploded in the distance. "That'll be Raven and Hank…"

"Erik…" Charles began.

"No." He replied looking out the window again.

'_VATI! MUMMY! HELP! ' _Lily screamed in their minds. Both men exploded into action, running down the stairs to the underground Cerebro. Erik caught a glimpse of a soldier walking down the hallway and pulled all the grenade pins on his body.

"No, Erik!" Charles shouted tackling him from behind, but it was already too late. Erik rolled and dragged the telepath behind a cement wall. Charles yelled as the explosion shook the wall and Erik grabbed his head.

"Come on!" Erik yelled taking off towards Cerebro, half dragging Charles behind him. They stopped when they saw, in front of them, a soldier standing before a trembling Lily pointing his gun at the small girl.

"You freak of nature…" The man said as he shot at the three-year-old with Charles and Erik looking on in horror.


	28. Chapter 28

Hellohello! This is it! The last chapter. i'll write an epilogue for you don't worry! but yes...this feels right. thank you all for the brilliant reviews and for reading this story! and for putting up with my horrid cliffhangers. Translations: Oh my god! I love you. And I, you, forever and always. And as always my friends...Enjoy! 

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><p>"They're underground." Frost said moving quickly through the wreckage of cars and tanks as more exploded in the distance, courtesy of Hank and Raven.<p>

"What are we going to do?" Riptide asked narrowly avoiding a piece of shrapnel speeding towards him.

"We're going to go in after them…" Frost replied with a smile.

"And what? Huh?" Angel asked with an angry look. After running out on the rest of them in London, she had come back only after the 'family' had left the country.

"We're going to take what belongs to us." Frost said with heat at the young woman.

"Right…you're going to take Lily away from Erik or Charles? Didn't you learn anything after the last time?" Angel said shaking her head.

"Of course I learned…I sent a couple of soldiers in after the girl first." Frost said glaring at Angel.

"Humans? Ay Dios mio! You really have no idea what you're doing do you?"

"If you think you could do any better…" Frost said gesturing to the mansion. Angel looked at Frost in slight surprise, before grabbing Azazel by the arm.

"Take me underground, sixty meters west of the satellite, and twenty meters down." She said with a look at Frost. The two disappeared in a _Crack! _of red smoke, reappearing in front of Cerebros' door. Angel had a glimpse of Lily's wide purple eyes before she felt a searing pain rip through her back and extend down her side. She fell slowly forward as she heard someone, _Charles, _scream her name.

"Ha…I guess you were right Lily…I am only human." She said to the little girl before closing her eyes. Lily's eyes filled with tears as Angel fell to the ground, dead, from the bullet meant for her. Erik walked over to the soldier and ripped the gun out of his hands, bending it with his power easily into knots. The man fell to his knees, his hands raised in surrender.

"Please! Don't kill me! I was just following orders!" He pleaded with the rage filled mutant.

"That's no excuse." Erik spat out grabbing the man's dog tags and choking him. "I've been at the mercy of men _just following orders_…never again."

'_Vati…'_ Lily thought to Erik, who turned to look at him with tears running down her face. _'Enough…please…'_

Erik put the man slowly down before walking over to Azazel and Lily. She was holding Angel's head in her lap, softly stroking the woman's black hair away from her face. Azazel watched with frightened eyes, looking from Lily to Erik to the soldier and back as he tried to figure out what to do.

"Vati…is this how it's going to be forever now? No peace…just war?" Lily asked softly not taking her eyes from Angel. Erik remembered back to the conversation between him and Charles before they had gone to Cuba. He had said then that peace was never an option, but now…

"There will be peace…for you there will be peace, mien Kliene. For you, peace is the only option." Erik said gently, leaning over Angel's body to collect his small daughter.

Charles watched the exchange between the two with a mixture of relief and sadness. He was sad that Angel had died but at the same time Lily was still alive…Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the soldier pull out a handgun and aim at Erik's back.

"NO!" He shouted running to push Erik out of the way when he felt a searing pain in the small of his back. He fell into Erik's arms and tried not to yell out in pain as Erik pulled the bullet out of his back.

"Charles!" Erik said in panic holding him in his arms tenderly.

"Erik…I c-can't…"

"MUMMY!" Lily shrieked standing up to face the soldier who tried to run away from her rage and lightning filled eyes. She pulled him back with her power and lifted him up, choking him as hard as she could while she watched through blazing tear-filled eyes.

"NO, LILY!" Erik yelled swiping his hand at her, trying to break the girls concentration. But months of training her mind with Charles and the others had sharpened her powers to a fine point. She took the bump from Erik and held on until the man stopped moving. Lily smiled a small smile and dropped him to the floor before turning her attention to her parents.

"Lily…what have you done?" Erik asked his voice hitching as he stared at the non-moving man.

"Er-Erik…He's not d-dead…" Charles whispered looking at Erik with tear filled eyes. Erik bowed his head to Charles's for a minute then looked over to Azazel.

"Get us the hell out of here." He said to the frightened man as he held out a hand to Lily. Azazel hesitantly nodded, putting a hand on Charles shoulder, and taking Lily's other hand before _CRACK!_, they disappeared from the underground.

Raven saw Azazel appear in view with Erik, Lily, and Charles. Frost strode over to the cluster before being viciously thrown backward into Riptide's arms. Raven ran over when she saw that Charles couldn't get up and Lily was crying uncontrollably.

"What happened?" She said as Hank followed behind her.

"A soldier shot Charles in the back…I don't know…" Erik said looking panicked.

"I…I can't feel my legs…I can't feel my legs!" Charles said over and over, trying to move but only being able to grimace in pain. Lily wept as he held onto her tightly looking up at Erik in desperation.

"This is what they will try to do all over the world!" Frost said in anger as Riptide helped her stand up. "Angel is dead! Charles is injured! What will you do when they take your precious daughter?"

"They won't…"

'_**ENOUGH!'**_ Lily shouted inside everyone's mind. Alex and Sean fell out of the sky as the weight of her voice dragged them down to Earth. _**'FORGET AND LEAVE!'**_

All the humans on the grounds immediately dropped their weapons and began marching off the property as Lily watched closely. Once they had all left she turned back to the others and began glaring at Frost.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here! I know what's going on and I understand everything! I'm not some stupid kid who thinks that life is rosy and the world will make things right!" She said looking each mutant in the eye. "Peace…it's what we all want. You want it through domination and superiority. We want it through cooperation and compromise. I will not fight for you, or any other who believes themselves to be superior to anyone else because of an accident of birth."

"Then I guess you don't want to fight for your _Vati_, anymore." Frost said sarcastically. Erik looked from her to Lily then motioned Hank over to Charles's side. He handed the telepath over to the blue mutant before standing up to face Frost.

"You won't stop will you? You'll continue coming for her or me, won't you?" He asked with a hard look. Frost nodded after a moment and matched his gaze. Erik sighed deeply before kneeling down to Charles face.

"This is what they've wanted from the beginning…for us to turn against one another…" He said his eyes filled with sadness. At that moment Moira walked out of the mansion and looked at the destruction on the grounds. Erik reached out with his powers to pull her towards them by her necklace.

"You did this." He snarled as Charles and Lily put a hand to his arm.

"No…" Charles said with tears in his eyes.

"I want you by my side. You and I, we're so much more then brothers…We want the same thing." Erik said releasing Moira from his grip.

"Oh, my dearest friend…maybe once…but not anymore." Charles said raising a hand to Erik's cheek, tears running into his hair as Erik kissed him one last time before standing up to look at Frost.

"The human's society will never accept us. They have played their hand, now we prepare to play ours…Who's with me?" He said coldly.

"Vati…" Lily said sadly as Alex pulled her back from running after him.

"I'm sorry, mien Kleine…Don't drag yourself into a war that will shatter you like I have been. Do something else…play music." Erik said nodding his head at Alex in thanks.

"I will, Vati. Ich Liebe Dich." She said to him, her tears drying on her face as she stood up straight and watched him with clear eyes.

"Und ich, du, für immer und ewig, mien Kleine." He said as Frost and Riptide took Azazel's other hand. Raven moved over to look at Charles with a torn look on her face.

"Go Raven…it's what you want. It's what you've always wanted." He said gritting his teeth against the pain radiating from his back.

"You promised me that you would never read my mind." She said sadly with a ghost of a smile flitting across her face.

"I promised you a lot of things…"

Raven went and took Erik's free hand with a last lingering look at Hank before shouting, "Hey! Beast! Remember…mutant and proud!"

Hank just shook his head sadly and turned back to Charles. Suddenly a streak of sliver shattered a window before coming to a rest in front of Lily's outstretched hand. It was Shaw's helmet from Cuba.

"Take it." Lily said floating it over to Erik, who plucked it from the air. "I've always known that you would choose this…even if you think it's to protect me."

Erik pulled it over his head and, for the first time since his coma, couldn't feel Charles or Lily's prescence in his mind. It was a heartbreaking and terrible feeling, not being able to hear his telepaths anymore, but he took a deep breath, grabbed Raven and Azazel's hands, and with a _CRACK!_ disappeared forever from the mansion's grounds.

"Charles…are you alright?" Moira asked dragging herself over to the telepath.

"I can't feel my legs Moira…And I'm sorry…but Erik was right…it is all your fault." Charles said as Lily placed her hands on either side of Moira's head and wiped her memory.


	29. Chapter 29

Hello my readers! sorry it took so long but i'm having a lot of idea's for a certain blue german mutant in the future of my little universe. so this is it! the epilogue. and just to be honest with you i hate how it ended too, but! i needed it to end like that so i could write my ideas for a sequel! can you blame a girl? rhetorical question...now! on to the ending, Lily is a very resiliant girl not to mention a super genius (that's why she talks like she's a lot older)...ok translations are as follows :Grandfather, ass, I miss you so much, I know, and Grandfather. Thank you all for following me on this very odd, sometimes perplexing, but always interesting journey. Thank you to all my readers and all the reviews! You have all made my summer a little brighter. Auf Wiedersehen, Au revoir, Adieu, and goodbye!...for now ;)

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><p>WHACK!<p>

"OW! Shit!" Hank said stumbling out of the jet, rubbing his head. He stopped and stared around as he tried to remember what day it was before yawning widely and walking over to the coffee pot he had secreted down to the lab. He tossed the day old coffee as he realized that he had, once again, fallen asleep while working. The professor wasn't going to be happy with him.

'_Then again,'_ Hank thought as he set the machine to percolate. _'Happiness is relative these days…'_

After taking Charles to the hospital and prying Lily away from the injured man, Hank and Sean had returned to the mansion to find an unconscious soldier down next to Cerebro. Lily had not said anything about him but had silently wiped his memory before letting Hank take him to the emergency room. After that she hadn't spoken a word to anyone but the Professor in the six months since Erik had left.

"Lily, are you ok?" Charles had asked after coming home from the hospital.

"No." She had replied before walking away from the rest of them. She had locked herself away in the music room after that, not coming out for anything or one. Sometimes Hank would walk past and hear soft music coming from the piano and sometimes he would just hear soft weeping. It broke his heart and made him angry that Erik would have left all this behind, Lily was worth more then that.

Hank sighed as the coffee started to waft up into his nostrils giving him a slight pick up as he reached for a stack of papers. He'd been trying to design a new wheelchair for the Professor, something that would allow him to move around better in the house and on the grounds, but he wasn't having much success. The Professor…No one called him Mom anymore, except in their minds. He was holding up better then anyone could have expected but Hank could still see the pain and hurt in his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

It hurt him that Alex and Sean had to go out and retrieve the two new mutants he had found using Cerebro. A white-haired seven year-old African girl with goddess-like powers over the weather, and a young thirteen year-old boy who could shoot red power beams from his eyes. The Professor had welcomed them into the mansion warmly and both seemed more then happy to know that they weren't alone in the world.

BANG! BANG! The outside door rattled as someone, _'Probably Alex'_ Hank thought tiredly, knocked on it demanding access. Hank went over, still a little groggy, and opened the door wide.

"And you are dead, Beast." Erik said shouldering his way into the lab along with what looked like ten tons of floating metal. "You shoulder really check before you open doors, especially large metal ones."

Hank staggered back as he processed who had just walked inside. He stared at Erik before sitting heavily down on the floor and grabbing the back of his head.

"Beast?" Erik asked raising an eyebrow. Hank started laughing as he looked back up at the metal bender.

"Get out." He said with a smile on his face.

"No."

"Yes." Hank said standing up and holding the door open for him. "You need to leave now before I kill you…You broke their hearts. Lily hasn't spoken since you left, the Professor can't go a day without crying even though he'll never admit it. The rest of us are just barely holding on and you think you can just come back here and…do what exactly?"

Hank looked confused as Erik coolly waited for him to finish his rant. The old man leaned against a table and heaved a huge sigh before pulling out a handful for blueprints and tossing them to Hank.

"These are…incredible." He said looking at them with increasing interest. "But…how would it run?"

"The wheels would generate electricity when he moved. No batteries, no generator, he'd be able to go anywhere with the right set of tires." Erik said as Hank closed the door and walked towards a relatively clear table.

"This…this is going to take months of work, I'd have to get the plastic and the tires special and I wouldn't be able to…hang on, these measurements look like they were done for…" The blue mutant said looking closely at the papers.

"Metal." Erik said gesturing the large mass of metal forward. "A new type of metal called Adamantium, it won't rust, break down, or wear out. It's also frustratingly impossible for me to manipulate alone. It's too dense and I can't force it to form into the shape I want."

"Metal? But…Erik…" Hank said shaking his head.

"I wouldn't…you know I wouldn't Hank…" Erik said softly, staring at the ground.

"But you could."

"And without that damn helmet, Charles could kill me. I don't really see the difference." Erik said looking up at Hank angrily.

Hank looked back at the blue prints and sighed.

"Alright, I help…not for you. But for the Professor, he needs this. And…"

"And?" Erik asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And I've been dying to test the new rocket boosters…"

Several hours later, the lab had grown wickedly hot and both men had stripped down to their waists as they worked to try and relieve the heat.

"Can we open a window or something?" Erik asked wiping sweat from his forehead as Hank powered down the jet's rockets and jumped down from the top of one.

"Hell yes…" He said opening the large metal door to reveal the light of a sunset. "We've been working for almost eight hours…"

"And we aren't about to take a break now. Come help me over here." Erik said taking some of the molten metal and forming it into a wheel with an X in the middle of it.

"So…you said we would be different…" Charles said looking at the red-headed women over his tea cup.

"I did, didn't I?" She replied with a small smile. "You look just like I remember you…"

"What?"

"Nothing…I'm sorry I wasn't able to help…"

"It's alright…I'm getting used to not being able to walk. I certainly miss it but…" He said with a sigh as he put his cup and saucer down. "There are more important things to do then morn my lost limbs."

"There it is…the reason I came." Memoria said smiling wide and relaxing.

"I don't follow…" Charles said looking confused.

"That…optimism? No, perseverance…that perseverance that I learned from you, I was waiting for it to come out." She said. "You're going to be fine…I don't know why I doubted…"

"O-k?" he said looking even more confused.

"Don't mind me, I'm just blathering. Please, continue your work, you are one of the most important men in the world. You and Magneto." She said with a knowing smile.

"What about Lily?" Charles asked with a concerned look. "She hasn't come out of the music room for three days straight…I'm worried about her."

Memoria sighed and moved to kneel in front of Charles, taking his hands in hers.

"I'm not going to lie…she's hurting badly right now. But she won't hurt forever, she's going to be just fine and even smile and laugh again…probably today." She said looking deep into his eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

Memoria nodded her head behind Charles and smiled. Lily was standing at the door looking at them with her head cocked to one side.

"Lily…"

"Mummy…you should come down to Hank's Lab with me." She said watching Memoria closely.

"Why?"

"We have a surprise for you." She said walking over to the older women.

"I'll be down as soon as I'm finished here, Lily-bear." Charles said watching the two females.

Lily reached out a hand and softly touched the women's cheek, Memoria leaning into the touch as she closed her eyes and sighed contently. The little girl smiled widely and leaned in to whisper something to the women before skipping off.

"What was that?" Charles asked as the red-head stood up.

"I don't know, Grand-père, you tell me." Memoria said her eyes turning an amber color as she walked around Charles' wheelchair.

"Well it looked…wait, what?" Charles said whipping his head around to see she had disappeared into thin air leaving behind a faint smell of sulpher. "What?"

"What is it?" Erik asked Lily as he looked at the small embroidered pillow. Lily exhaled a breath of agitation and jumped up to snatch the pillow away from the man.

"It's a cushion…So he can sit more comfortably." She said brushing it off and setting it on the, now complete, wheelchair. "He's always saying how his arsch goes numb after a while."

"Does he know how much you swear?" Erik asked watching the little girl from his spot on one of the cleared tables.

"_No_, and I rather keep it that way." She said glaring at him. There was a few minutes of awkward silence as she dropped her glare and looked at him sadly.

"You could stay…" She began.

"No, you know I can't. I believe in my cause just as much as Charles believes in his." Erik said harshly causing Lily to flinch a little.

"But…"

"No but's…I'm sorry Lily, this is the way it's going to have to be."

"I know. It was always going to end this way…at least we get to say good-bye now." She said looking at him with clear eyes and holding out her hand. Erik jumped down from the table, walked over to the young girl, and took her hand, pulling her up into a tight hug. After a moment she hugged him back as though the world was going to end.

"Ich vermisse dich so sehr, Vati." She said into his neck.

"Ich weiss, meine Kleine." He replied as a tear slid down his cheek.

"Hey! Opa!"

Erik turned in surprise to see Memoria standing at the door watching. She smiled a little then looked at Erik seriously.

"Take the offer." She said sternly.

"I hope that's a suggestion, young lady." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"No, it's an order. Take the offer. The war will still be there tomorrow…tonight can be for peace." She said turning to leave. Erik and Lily looked at each other in confusion as Hank walked back into the room.

"Well I finally calibrated the…Lily? When did you get here?" He asked looking around in confusion. "And why does it smell like sulpher?"

"That's a good question, Hank, but the one I have is, why is Erik here in the mansion?" Charles said from the doorway. All three mutants jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice. Hank and Erik looked uncomfortable as Lily shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"He came to say good-bye, Mummy. That's all." She said. "It's going to be a long time before he comes back."

"I guess so…" Charles said wheeling himself into the room. "What is that?"

"Something that I think you'll like." Hank said jumping to show him the new wheelchair. "It's a wheelchair."

"I can see that, Hank. What's so special about it?"

"It's made of an indestructible metal and…it has front-wheel drive." Hank said with a smile.

"Metal?" Charles said with a raised eyebrow at Erik.

"You could kill me at anytime, if I'm not wearing my helmet." Erik replied with a straight face.

"Is that why you're not wearing it right now?"

Erik just looked at him, Charles shook his head and picked up the cushion on the seat.

"What's this?" He asked turning it over to see the X embroidered on the other side.

"A cushion. You keep saying your butt goes numb after a few hours." Lily piped up from Erik's arms.

"I am a little confused about that…" Erik asked with a look questioning look on his face.

"I can't feel my legs, Erik. Everything else works just fine." Charles replied putting the cushion back and levering himself up to sit in the new chair. Erik moved to help him but Lily stopped him with a hand. Charles sat heavily into the chair and moved it back and forth, and turning in circles before looking up at Hank.

"I like it. Can it go faster?"

"If you want…there's a speed control on the side." Hank said showing him where. Erik simply watched the man for a moment before setting Lily on the ground and grabbing his coat.

"I guess I should go now." He said pulling on the long leather jacket. He made it halfway to the door when Charles voice stopped him.

"Stay…just for the night. You can put Lily to bed and your room hasn't been changed…" He said quietly. Erik turned to look at him a moment before hesitantly nodding.

"The war will still be there tomorrow…" He said as Lily ran over to him. "Tonight can be for peace."


End file.
